Robert D. Mitchell Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

ROBERT D MITCHELL, PHD April 26, 1940 - September 27, 2022 In loving memory of Robert D Mitchell, 82, of Naples Florida, who surrounded by his loved ones at home, made his transition September 27, 2022 after a three year challenge by both end-stage kidney and heart issues. He was born on April 26, 1940 to Robert Mitchell and Annie Taylor Davis in Motherwell, Scotland. Bob was a war-time baby issued with a gas-mask. He grew up in the steel capital of Scotland where his father was a steelworker and his mother a homemaker. Bob attended the Glencairn Primary School in Motherwell, graduated from Dalziel High School in 1958 where he was athletically active on his high school track and soccer team which reached the state finals in his senior year. He graduated from the University of Glasgow with an honors degree in Geography and Economic History in 1962. He immigrated to California in 1962 to attend graduate school at UCLA. He was inspired to go to California by his aunt who lived in Long Beach, CA and had sent him "care packages", including comic books during World War II. Bob studied two years at UCLA before transferring to the University of Wisconsin, Madison where he completed his Ph.D in 1969. For the next 30 years Bob was a professor at the University of Maryland, College Park. As a professor and scholar he taught geography and conducted research in addition to mentoring 25 graduate students in both master’s and doctorate programs. To this day Bob has maintained on-going relationships with some of those graduate students who remain very dear friends with him. Bob married Karen Oleon Wagener in 1965 and adopted two children, Mark D Mitchell, Assistant Dean, University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, and Kimberly Tsabari. Karen and Bob were divorced in 1979. Later in life they reconnected and kept that connection. Bob and Mark shared a loving father-son relationship which they nurtured with weekly phone calls until Bob's transition. At one point, Mark provided respite care to Cynthia and Catherine caring diligently for his father. That time together left an indelible mark of gratitude on both father and son. For 8 years Bob was co-editor of the International Journal of Historical Geography, and co-editor with his colleague Dr. Paul Groves of North America: The Historical Geography of a Changing Continent. This book described more than 450 years of the settling of the continent. Other books written or edited by Bob include: Appalachian Frontiers: settlement, society & development in the preindustrial era, The Appalachian Frontier: views from the East and the Southwest (co author, Milton B. Newton, Jr.), Geographical perspectives on Maryland's Past/edited with Edward K Muller, and Commercialism and Frontier: perspectives on the early Shenandoah Valley. It was during his time at the University of Maryland that Bob was also instrumental in the formation of the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton, Virginia. He continued a life-long association with Israel and lectured at the Hebrew University between 1979 and 1999. In 1980 he married Nava Zamoff, who had four children of her own from previous marriages, Daphne Rulf, Dore, Bennett, and Jeffrey Zamoff. They shared 15 years together often visiting Israel. At one point they supported five children in college for several years. During the summer months all the children, Bob's two and Nava's three boys, spent two months together and shared memorable times as a family, including vacations. Nava and Bob created a scholarship to Hebrew University which enabled a student at Hebrew University to publish a book on Orthodox Judaism and Israeli women. Nava died in 1995. Bob continued to keep in close touch with Nava's cousins who live in Maryland and were featured in the TV documentary series entitled, " We'll Meet Again", regarding their rescue to Oswego as Holocaust refugees. Bob enjoyed international and US travel, reading, listening to classical music, especially Beethoven, and contemporary music, especially of artists like Tony Bennett, Andrea Bocelli and Helene Fischer. Bob had a passion for visiting museums wherever he travelled and as a social extrovert he reveled in bringing flowers and visiting with family and friends. He had many caring friends whom he treasured. In fact, even his caregivers found him to be a remarkable and entertaining gentle spirited man. Bob also enjoyed photography, bird watching, which he taught Cynthia to do, and theater here and in the UK. Some of his favorite musicals included Hamilton, Les Misérables, Cats, and Phantom of the Opera. He was an animal lover especially fond of tigers, cats and dogs of all kinds. He was an avid sports enthusiast, a dedicated Dodgers fan and he loved “football” aka soccer. Bob was raised as a Presbyterian in Scotland. In later years he became a member of St. Monica's Episcopal Church in Naples, Florida, and served on the board of directors. He also frequented Unity Services both in Ft. Myers and Naples, FL. Bob and Cynthia enjoyed a rich spiritual life together and started each day with prayer and practices. Bob loved to listen to Unity Meditations with Cynthia and Catherine and his care team daily - especially before going to dialysis treatments. In 1996 Bob met Cynthia Imondi Villari in an airport limo that they both shared. In 1998 he moved to be with Cynthia and her soul sister Catherine V Fazzina, of 38 years, in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Between them they had three dogs named Dodger, Bob's favorite - a German Shepherd Huskie, Jiggles, a Corgi, and Hector, Cynthia's and Catherine's Lhasa Apso. They enjoyed living in the home of Cynthia and Catherine - an ocean side 101 year old Victorian in Narragansett. Bob often walked his dogs by the ocean wall, and Jiggles would bark at the sea. Bob was a voracious reader who loved books. In one of his favorite books, The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruis Zafon, there is a quote which truly resonated with Bob that states: "as long as we are being remembered we remain alive." When Bob moved to Narragansett to join Cynthia and Catherine he sent 25 boxes to the University of Rhode Island and recently in 2022 he parted with 18 more boxes of books to one of his favorite charities, St. Matthew's House in Naples, Florida. In 1999 Bob took early retirement from the University of Maryland and wed Cynthia in Narragansett. They moved to a home that Bob and Cynthia had built in Naples, Florida. Catherine joined them in 2000, and the three of them along with their new Lhasa Apso, Angelique, enjoyed an inclusive community which had a respect for people of all races and ages. In 2003 Cynthia's parents, Hank and Rita Imondi joined them. Bob cared for them all the remaining years of their lives as if they were his own parents. In early 2003 Bob joined Cynthia and Catherine as an officiant in their wedding company and was sought after by couples to officiate more than half of their destination wedding ceremonies in southwest Florida for more than 20 years. Throughout their 23 years of marriage (25 years together) they traveled regularly to Scotland to be with Bob's family, to Israel, Italy, Spain, and the cities of Paris and London, and when they weren't traveling abroad, they enjoyed places like Barbados, Bermuda, the Caribbean, and throughout the U.S. Bob and Cynthia built two homes and renovated 2 other homes in Naples, Florida. Each home provided a space of welcome for family and friends. The beauty of the sunsets, the Gulf, flowers, and the birds in Naples mesmerized him. Bob loved his homeland of Scotland and was grateful for his niece Pamela's daily texts and grandniece, Ashley's outreach and recent two-week transformative visit with him. He looked forward to his Sunday phone calls with his brother, Davis and sister-in-law, Margot, and video calls with his entire family in Scotland. Their love provided a huge contribution to his life, especially during these last 3 years. Bob is survived by his beloved wife, Cynthia, his soul-sister, Catherine, his children Mark of Pennsylvania and Kimberly of California, his granddaughter Kaya of California, his family in Scotland: brother Davis Mitchell, his sister-in-law, Margot Mitchell, his niece Pamela Mitchell, his nephew Cameron Mitchell, grandniece Ashley Purdie, and cousin, Winnie Goodwin. And through marriage by his brothers-in-law, Ron Imondi (Cara), Charles Imondi (Paige) and nephew Michael Lakin. Bob was and is a benevolent presence of love who had an insatiable desire to learn every day of his life. Cynthia will remember him as her beloved sweetheart, and by many as a remarkable human being with a sense of humor and an uncanny way to cultivate generosity of spirit. In his wedding ceremonies, Bob used to quote the poet Rumi who said, "Lovers don't finally meet somewhere, they're in each other all along". Bob's hope was that every time we remember him we would remember love. A Celebration of Life will be held in Naples, FL on October 29, 2022. If you choose to join us, please RSVP Catherine at catherinevfazzina@gmail.com for further information. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to AVOW Hospice, Naples, Florida (239) 261-4404 or The Unity Prayer Ministry c/o Unity Village, Missouri (816) 524-3550. To sign Bob’s guest book or to leave online condolences, please visit www.ShikanyFuneralHome.com Arrangements are being handled by Shikany’s Bonita Funeral Home & Crematory Family Owned and Operated Since 1978