Robert (Bob) Witte
Jan. 2, 1932-Feb. 19, 2022
Los Gatos, California

Robert (Bob) Witte, age 90, died on February 19, 2022 in Los Gatos. A long-time resident of Palo Alto and Santa Cruz County, Bob enjoyed a long life of purpose and joy, and he treasured the people and experiences life brought him.

Bob was born in Columbia, Pennsylvania, the son of Henry and Emma Witte, and he grew up there under the caring and watchful eyes of his older siblings: three brothers, J. Stuart, A. Gerhard, and Henry, and two sisters, Lila and Henrietta. Although an uninvolved student throughout high school, Bob flourished in college. At Valparaiso University, he discovered a love of learning and, more importantly, met the love of his life, Doris Kummer. Upon graduating, Bob and Doris married and moved to California where Bob earned a Ph.D. in psychology from Stanford University. After teaching at Cornell College (Iowa) for three years and a post-doctoral research fellowship at Indiana University for one year, Bob and Doris found their way back to California where Bob spent the remainder of his academic career at San Jose State University, while he and Doris raised their four children in Palo Alto. Once the children were grown, they moved to a beautiful spot among redwood trees in the Santa Cruz mountains for 35 years, and later to The Terraces in Los Gatos. Bob taught at San Jose State for 34 years before retiring as Professor of Psychology in 1995. His academic passion was making statistics accessible to a wide range of students. This passion was evidenced in the introductory statistics textbook he wrote, which has been in wide use for over forty years and is currently in its eleventh edition; as of the fifth edition, Bob’s son John Witte joined him as a co-author.

In his recreational pursuits Bob also evinced the passion of a man thoroughly engaged with life. He was an enthusiastic skier who reveled in a well-groomed slope where he could enjoy either the thrill of a pell-mell descent or the beautiful view offered in a relaxed traverse. For years Bob loved leisurely bike rides near his home, first on the roads around Corralitos and later in the neighborhoods of Los Gatos. On his bike or during his daily walks, he kept his head up to take in the scenery and offer smiles to everyone he passed. He truly knew how to relish every moment.

Bob loved a story well told, whether in literature, music, or the recounting of personal adventures over a glass of wine. He also loved dessert and believed in generous helpings of the sweet things in life! After a chance encounter with Tom Sawyer in his elementary school library, Bob became an avid lifelong reader (with an abiding soft spot for Mark Twain and authors of his ilk). His table always had a stack of library books, and his library account always had a list of requests for forthcoming books. Bob might be in the midst of four books at once, cycling among fiction, history, biography, and science, as the mood struck him – and he kept track of them all! Classical music was the soundtrack of Bob’s life, continually playing in the background as well as actively appreciated in live performance. With a penchant for 20th century composers, Bob and Doris were important longtime supporters and attendees of the Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music. More than anything, Bob loved spending time with family and friends, sharing adventures and then sharing memories. If a funny story happened to feature Bob, no one was happier to laugh at himself. His expansive humor and irresistible laugh added sparkle to every gathering.

Generous in all ways, Bob was especially giving of his love and attention. He took boundless interest in other human beings, delighting in learning about others from their own accounts. To be in conversation with Bob was to feel for a time that you were the most fascinating and entertaining person on earth. His grandchildren looked forward to telling Bob about their lives, knowing that Grandpa would want to hear in detail about their favorite part of any experience; he was always interested in whatever his grandchildren were doing and always convinced it was wonderful. Even more than the abundant pride he took in his family, Bob derived profound pleasure in being with his ever-expanding family circle, none of whom could doubt for a moment they were fully loved.

Bob brought devotion, kindness, and humor to his relationships, and he and Doris enjoyed 69 years of love and laughter in their marriage. Bob was a loving and beloved father of four children: Stephen (Faith, deceased; Sandy Moore) of Fresno; Michael (Sharon) of Palo Alto; Andrea Galdi (Phil) of Millersville, Maryland; and John (Katie Riggs) of Burlingame. He was an adoring and involved grandfather to eleven grandchildren: Keegan (Camy), Brittany Neal (Brent), Kristen, Scott, Joseph, John, Jack, Carson (Meredith), Sam, Margaret, and Gretchen; and the magical “G-G Pa” to five great-grandchildren: Carrigan, Kedrick, Alika, Kalea, and Heili.

Bob will be much missed and long celebrated by family, friends, and students.

Tags: teacher/educator