Robert F. Zunzer
Obituaries
Steamboat Today - December 10, 2011
After a valiant fight, former Steamboat Springs resident Robert F. Zunzer succumbed to brain cancer on Nov. 20, 2011, in Jupiter, Fla.
The fourth child of Rose and Andrew Zunzer, Robert was born Feb. 17, 1923, in Reading, Pa. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Oberlin College and his Ed.D. from Stanford University. He was most proud of being a World War II veteran. Serving in the Pacific, Robert was a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy during the war. He had a long and exemplary career with the Central Intelligence Agency, retiring in 1981.
A gifted and passionate musician, Robert played accordion as a child and continued to do so until he was in his 80s. It was the piano, however, that he loved most. Known for his sensitive interpretations of Chopin, Schubert, Schumann and Brahms, Robert had a gift that all who knew him recognized. Until a month before his death, he practiced and played on his beloved Steinway for hours a day. Whenever he was with his daughter Joanne in Steamboat, Bob graced her piano, the neighborhood and friends with his special touch.
Second to music was Bob’s passion for travel. The world was his home. He formed lifelong friendships wherever he lived and traveled. Among his most cherished memories were times he spent in Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Switzerland, Germany, Lebanon, Oman, India, Alaska, Chile, Argentina, Georgia and Colorado. A resident of Colorado for almost 10 years, Steamboat had a special place in his heart. Throughout his life and travels, Robert maintained a strong bond with his Swiss and Pennsylvania heritages.
In the late ’80s, Bob lived for a period of time with close friend Chriss Parks, whom he met when sharing post-knee surgery physical therapy with his daughter Joanne. Bob later played a special role in Chriss’ wedding ceremony with Freddy and in the lives of their two children, Emma Rose and Monroe.
Bob loved and respected The Lowell Whiteman School, where his daughter has taught since 1984. Throughout the course of 28 years, he spent many hours at the school, visiting classes, making friends with faculty and students alike, and enjoying the food — another of his passions.
Along with his friends Jim and Ann Ford, longtime summer residents of Steamboat and friends from Oberlin College, Bob was a loyal supporter of Strings Music Festival.
For Robert, who was known to many as “Uncle Bob,” people — and especially children — meant the world. He loved people of all backgrounds and nationalities. He never missed an opportunity to make a new friend. Around the world, he will be carried in the hearts of many.
Robert F. Zunzer is survived by the mother of his children, Suzanne A. Zunzer; his three children, Taci Zunzer, Joanne Z. Lasko and Robert A. Zunzer; his three grandchildren, Gretchen Zunzer, Karl Zunzer and Jessica Zunzer-Whitaker; and nieces, nephews and cousins around the world.
In the spring, services will be held and his remains interred in Reading, Pa. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in the name of Robert F. Zunzer to Oberlin College, which changed his life.
