This memorial website was created in the memory of our loved one, Robert Wittich, 68, born on December 16, 1944 and passed away on July 10, 2013. We will remember him forever.
Tributes
Leave a tributeWith much love, Laura and Bob Bartels
& LeMoyne, I always considered him as family. Miss him very much & wish Rita & Bobby strength & courage in their daily life.
It is almost a year since we lost you. There are so many things I miss about not having you with me. One of those things is sharing things with you ---just the little every day things. Today I played golf. It was a very hot day but I had the best nine hole round I have ever had. I broke 50 and my first thought was- I wish I could tell Bob. I know you would have been so happy for me. You were always my biggest fan. I miss you and will love you forever.
Rita
I feel so fortunate to have had both of you in my life. I always saw Bob as both an amazingly understanding and caring person with a practical and humorous side. Rita, you are a woman of amazing strength and I have thought often of you in the past year. I hope your great memories of the time you shared sustain you. You can be sure that many people share your loss. Stay well.
May 20th, a year ago, we got your diagnosis. We knew immediately it was pretty bad. We discussed whether to treat or not. You said that if you weren't in so much pain you would go on vacation or have a big party. But you said you would not be able to enjoy it. i am so sorry you were in so much pain. I love you and miss you.
Rita
A year ago on Mother's Day you lost your voice. It was so sad. You always had such a distinctive voice and such a loud hearty laugh. When we first met in college, I remember always knowing if you were in the dinng hall or not becuse you could hear your laugh above the din. I always listened for it. I miss hearing your voice so much.
Love,
Rita
It's hard to believe that it is a year ago that your nightmare was just starting. About now we were expecting that the shot would clear up your back pain. I am so sorry you were in so much pain. I miss you so much and wish we could have had more time together.
Just spent a great weekend down here with Wes and Linda and spent the weekend before in Richmond with Rich and Steph. You know that your family is wonderful and they know that you love them all.
Love always,
Rita
Just had a wonderful visit from Rita and Bob Jr. this past weekend. It was great. I thought of you all weekend wishing you where here with us,
Love
Rich
--Love, Doris and Bob
To Rita and Bobby our love.
Love, Laura and Bob
A day doesn't pass without a thought of you.
I too had my pendant on today. I wear it often.
All my love to Rita and Bobby on what is a difficult day.
I miss you.
PS The Rudolph you made for me is still hanging on my refrigerator.
The pain of missing you is somewhat diminished by knowing you are my brother, my friend and you love me. I love you too.
My promise to you and Rita; the ritual of having dinner when you all come through Richmond will continue forever. We will raise a glass in honor of you every time.
Happy Birthday Bob
Love
Rich
Today would have been our 46th wedding anniversary. I am so sorry that we can't celebrate it together. I guess it is good that we had a big party for our 40th. We had a great time and I have wonderful memories of that night, I will love you forever.
Rita
We lost another good one.
Glória, Alba y Adelardo.
Love, Jonathan aka Iron Man
Love your sister, Elizabeth
when we would drift apart in the 57 years that we knew each other. We all had good times, made more memorable , because Bob was there.
He will be missed by all, especially Rita & Bobby. Stay Strong.
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ProCall@aol.com
"Good morning Robert. At last spring has arrived with a flourish of colour and freshness after a long, wet, Wagga Wagga winter. This e-mail is being sent from home instead of my office as I have finally retired. Yes, I know it's about time you say! This mornings news has the European economy improving, at least the northern part, and China too. Our All Ord's is nearing 5,200 - a five year high - and there is a lot more green than red on my watch list. Our Reserve bank meets today but the expectation is that our benchmark rate will stay at 2.50% especially given we go to the polls on Saturday to rid ourselves of Kevin Rudd. With a new government and renewed consumer confidence it is hoped, especially from a retiree's perspective, that further rate cuts will not be necessary. I see that my beloved METS failed to sweep the Nat's as they struggle to finish the year on a positive note. Let me know what you think about your mate's decision to 'flick the ball' to congress re Syria? I had better go. I think Hezz has jobs lined up for me. Retirement! Yea! Give my love to Rita and Bobby."
Sadly, I know I will not get a response from my mate. But if I did, it would have been prompt, insightful, warm and witty. Since our return to Oz in 1986, Bob was the 'penfriend' I never had as a youngster. I greatly miss this contact.
In some ways, Bob was the 'big' brother I never had. I 'looked up' to him; enjoyed his missives; his trips to Oz; his interaction with my adult children and my grandchildren; his beautiful reflection of my only son, Peter; his pronunciation of 'gidday mate'; his dismissal of a handshake for a bear hug; sharing a cold beer whether it be a VB or a Bud; his choice of Italian restaurants; his Spanish; and his overwhelming generosity. I admit to not enjoying (the next morning) our sharing of a bottle of JD and a cigar.
Bob you are and will remain a good mate.
Bob in the 1950s
For those of you who only knew Bob as an adult you would easily recognize him as a youth. Bob was a happy and confident boy, and if he wasn’t outright leading an activity, he was always involved in the leadership. Summertime was the best. I remember endless games of punchball, stickball, stoopball, skelzies, “Johnny on the pony”, ringolevio, and kick the can. Bob always made sure I was included. Of course, the touch football games in City Park were classic, as were the two full tackle football games he set up between the boys from St. James and St. Augustine in Memorial Park. Most of us only had helmets and the hits were brutal, but so much fun.
I distinctly remember the happiness of being rewarded by Bob with an ice-cold Hires root beer after helping him with his extensive paper route one hot summer afternoon, and the excitement as he introduced me to his hideout in a subway tunnel which we accessed by scaling the granite abutment of the Manhattan Bridge on the corner of Sand and Jay streets and squeezing through some pulled back fencing under the walkway. Bob was adventurous and courageous. He was everything you wanted in a big brother
Submitted for Andrew Hirschhorn
With the image of his smirk accompanied by a laugh frozen in my memory, it’s hard to imagine that this same person could be so intimidating to me as a child. “Mr. Wittich” was that big scary guy… you know that one adult you remember as a kid that for some reason instilled you with a certain fear. But I’ll never forget the time when the big scary guy delivered one of the all-time classic lines to end the Little League baseball game for the ages.
With seven different pitchers, a marathon of walks, and darkness threatening to end a game that lasted so long nobody knew which team was winning; Geoff Berman threw the infamous pitch that would turn a semi-comatose crowd into frenzy. In an instant, umpire Bob Wittich was given the not so good fortune of being at the center of the biggest controversy in the history of the Larchmont Little League. Long story short, the pitch bounced before it reached home plate and the batter somehow managed to make contact and get a hit, seemingly defying the laws of physics. Nobody had ever seen this before… a pitch being hit on a bounce. Is it live? Should the kid run to first base? Is it a do over? Faster than you can grab your cell phone, the familiar roar when someone gets a hit was heard throughout and what ensued was a 10-minute display of everything that is wrong with youth sports… parents on the field screaming at each other, fingers pointing. There was yelling, shouting, flailing arms, altercation, and total pandemonium… all while innocent nine-years-olds stood dumfounded. Soon order was restored and the game ended prematurely on account of general ridiculousness.
During the proverbial insincere hand shake, the once silent Little Leaguers began to argue with one another while exhausted emotionless parents methodically began packing up for the night. “No, we won,” said one child. “No we did, it was 8 to 7,” said another. “No it was 7 to 6, we won,” added a third child. As the volume of voices escalated with more kids from each team joining the debate, a new altercation began to emerge. It was then that a stern, commanding, loud voice came over the Little Leaguers from the big scary Mr. Wittich that silenced all. “Hey stop that right now… you guys are old enough to know not to act like your parents!” A line that cut the tension completely and belongs in the Henny Youngman Hall of Fame. I can still hear the laughs from all the adults in the background. Mr. Wittich, your sense of humor will be missed!
--Andrew Hirschhorn