QUEENSBURY – Robert J. Heitzman, 87, of Queensbury and Lake George, formerly of Annapolis, MD, and Albany, passed away on Saturday, June 27, 2020 at Glens Falls Hospital. Bob was born in Albany, the son of the late George E. and Patricia Seaman Heitzman. He was a graduate of Vincentian Institute and served in the U.S. Army, stationed in Japan. After the Army, he graduated from Siena College, and then worked for several years for the Commercial Credit Corp. and the Pilot Freight Co. before accepting employment with the federal government and moving to the Washington, DC area. He graduated from the University of Baltimore School of Law, and was employed as an attorney for many years by the former General Accounting Office of the federal government. He lived for many years in Annapolis, MD, and was a member of the Friends of the Naval Academy.
Bob was a voracious reader, mostly of history, a fan of many different sports, especially U.S. Naval Academy sports, and enjoyed an extensive and eclectic music collection. His quiet, friendly manner, dry wit, and ability to engage on many topics of conversation led him to have friends in many locales, and of all ages and walks of life.
Bob is survived by his nephews John J. Hans, Jr. (Theresa) of Albany, Peter J. Hans (Patricia) of Loudonville, and Stephen P. Hans (Laura) of Albany; his great nieces and nephews Christopher Hans (Donna Millett-Hans), Matthew Hans (Jerilyn), Jennifer Briggs (Sam), Kristen Curran (James), Brian Hans and Shane Hans (Laura); and by his great great nieces and nephews Korey, Dana, Matthew, and Zachary Hans, Julia and Benjamin Briggs, and Colleen and Clare Curran. He was predeceased by his sister Ann H. Hans (John); and by his cousins Edna VanWely Smith and Gilbert VanWely.
The family wishes to thank the devoted staff of the T6 Telemetry and T5 ICU at Glens Falls Hospital for their compassion and loving care of Bob during his recent hospitalization.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated in the Parish of Mater Christi, Hurst Ave. & Hopewell St., Albany, Thursday at 1:00 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited, and may call at the Hans Funeral Home, 1088 Western Ave., Albany, Thursday morning beginning at 10:30 a.m. Due to the virus pandemic, current guidelines for facility capacity, etc. will be observed. Interment will be in Albany Rural Cemetery, Menands. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial contributions to the Glens Falls Hospital Foundation, 126 South Street, Glens Falls, NY 12801. To leave a message of condolence for the family or obtain directions to the funeral home, please visit www.HansFuneralHome.com.
Pat Fox
Condolences to the Hans family. So sorry for your loss of your Uncle Bob.
Nancy Simmons
To Bob’s family, my sincere condolences. I met Bob in June 1974 when I started working at GAO. He was among the first people I met and we had stayed in touch, most recently exchanging emails regarding basketball. His friend, Ginger, called him Panda. I’m not sure why, but I know he had lots of panda things in his office. Also, I’ve never known anyone else who bought new cars so frequently. I will miss him very much.
Dave Combs
Im so sorry to hear for your loss.. For a number of years Bob spent Christmas with our family. He was very close especially to our youngest son since he was Army ROTC at Va Tech then becoming a career Army officer.
My son and I spent a week with Bob at his Lake George cabin. Some months back he emailed me a picture that was taken during that week and said it was still hanging on a wall at his cabin.
Carmaleta and my sons will be saddened to here this.
Peg & Greg Donnellon
Our deepest sympathy to the Hans family. We know Bob adored his family and spoke of you often. Greg and I were fortunate to be friends of Bob’s for almost 50 years. Bob was Greg’s first supervisor at the General Accounting Office when Greg started working there July 1, 1970. It was a fabulous group of people who remained close throughout the years. In response to another comment, I know why Ginger called Bob Panda all those years Nancy. The whole office went bonkers when the Washington, DC Zoo received Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing in 1972 and that nickname just stuck! I don’t know a kinder soul than Bob. He would give you the shirt off his back. He will be missed by so many. If not for the pandemic, we would have gotten to see him in April. I was looking forward to going to the Olde Bryan In with him.
Greg Donnellon
…it was almost exactly fifty years ago to the day that I began working in DC with Bob as my first supervisor…his car buying made me dizzy at times…if I had encountered him after a while, my routine was to ask: “You bought a what???(fill in make and model of car)”…the second question was: “Why?”…the picture of him behind the wheel of his tatty yellow Volkswagen beetle was priceless…whether he lived in Riverdale, Odenton, Annapolis, or Glens Falls, we always kept in touch…his offbeat sense of humor was always present, and he could make me laugh just by something as ordinary as reading roadside highway signs…I will miss him greatly…