BITTAKER Lt. Col. Joe Robert “Bob” Bittaker, Retired, age 70, of Douglas Georgia, passed away on Wednesday, September 08, 2004, at the Coffee Regional Medical Center in Douglas Georgia.
Born in Douglas, Georgia on January 20, 1934 to the late Joseph Robert & Valerie Starling Bittaker, he was an Air Force officer, a war hero, an exceptional teacher, and a tireless advocate for the disabled and disadvantaged.
As a navigator in the Air Force, he flew 147 combat missions in Viet Nam, in charge of unarmed reconnaissance aircraft, earning multiple medals and commendations, including the Distinguished Flying Cross. As a graduate of the Air Force Institute of Technology, he was a senior engineer and researcher, responsible for many advancements in aircraft technology, including the development of the foam-filled, non-explosive aircraft fuel tank. He said that his most rewarding work was an electronics teacher at East Central Technical College and Okefenokee Technical College.
Remembered as much for the mentoring and life lessons he taught his students as for his regular curriculum, many students say that time with Mr. Bittaker was a turning point in their lives and their careers. Mr. Bittaker was a member of Douglas First United Methodist Church, and was a former member of the Board of Trustees and Advisory Council. He was a dedicated Mason, a Past Master of the Douglas Masonic Lodge, a 33rd degree Mason, and a member of the York Rite, Scottish Rite, and Hassan Shrine. His antics as a clown and magician with the Masons will long be remembered. As a tireless advocate for the disabled on the National, State, and Local levels, he was able to offer improved opportunities for the disabled. He was the driving force behind constructing the Ward Terrace independent living apartments, and in developing employment opportunities for the disabled by installing industrial grade capitol equipment for recycling at the employment center for the disabled. An avid fisherman and hunter, he was also an accomplished birder, amateur naturalist, and nature photographer. He was dedicated to an outdoor life, and with his wife, was well known for tracking and documenting bird migrations.
Survivors include: Wife, Annette Holloway Bittaker of Douglas GA; Sons, Joe Robert Bittaker of Loomis CA and Alan Fate Bittaker of Douglas GA; Grandchildren, Amanda Marie Bittaker of Portland OR and Robert Tyler Bittaker of Loomis CA; Sister, Ann Carver of Douglas GA; Brother, Richard Bittaker of Darien GA, and many nieces & nephews.
Funeral services will be held at the Douglas First United Methodist Church on Saturday (September 11, 2004) at 2:00 PM, with Rev. Robert Beckum & Rev. Benjy Varnell officiating. Sims Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Coffee County Association of Retarded Citizens. Please sign the Guestbook at Jacksonville.com
Published in the Florida Times-Union on 9/12/2004. |
1934 - 2004 (70 years)
1913 - 1996 (83 years)
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Joseph Robert Bittaker, b. 6 Aug 1911, Douglas, Coffee, Georgia, USA