Robert Allan Vitt

ROBERT ALLAN VITTMr. Robert Allan Vitt, 75, of Anna, formerly of Cobden, died at 11:04 P.M., Wednesday, December 1, 2010 at Jonesboro Rehab and Health Care Center, due to complications associated with his ten year battle with Parkinson's disease. He was born June 30, 1935 in Cobden, IL the son of Max Karl and Maude Baggott Vitt.Robert is survived by his former wife, Barbara Vitt of St. Louis, MO; daughter, Elizabeth Vitt of Bellevue, WA; step-son, Mark Schwarz of St. Charles, MO; nieces, Nancy Macdonald of Bloomington, IL, Vicki Lyerla and Karen Winzenburger, both of Cobden; nephew, John B. Vitt, Jr. of Cobden; several great and great-great nieces and nephews; other relatives & many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, and a brother, John B. Vitt, Sr.Robert was raised in Cobden and left southern Illinois to pursue his life-long passion in engineering. With a four decade career in electronic engineering, Robert traveled the world from "Area 51" to Amman, Jordan and contributed to ground-breaking jet aircraft achievements from the F4 to the F-18. Robert also enjoyed life's simple pleasures such as hanging his hummingbird feeder on his back porch, talking on his ham radio, tapping his fingers to his favorite classical music, collecting glass insulators, and taking candid photos of family, friends, and important milestones.Funeral mass for Mr. Robert Allan Vitt will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, December 11, 2010 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Cobden with Father Uriel Salamanca and Father Federico Higuera officiating. Interment will be in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Cobden. Friends may call from 5 to 7 p.m. on Friday evening at the Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Cobden. Rosary services will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Envelopes will be available at the church and at the Rendleman and Hileman Funeral Home in Cobden.