William R. 'Bill' Zeitler
William R. “Bill” Zeitler, 87, of Athens, Ga., passed away peacefully on March 1.
A native of East Brady and a graduate of Clarion Teachers College, Bill was the son of the late Anna B. Zeitler.
Bill was married to the former Mary Lou Moore on Aug. 31, 1954, at the St. Mary's Church in Crown and she survives. They were married for 60 years.
Bill served as an elementary school teacher and administrator throughout Pennsylvania and Ohio for 17 years, while earning his M.Ed. from Bowling Green State University and his Ph.D. from The Ohio State University.
In 1966, Dr. Zeitler, Ph.D., joined the University of Georgia as assistant professor of science education, where he taught for 23 years until his retirement in 1989 as a professor emeritus.
Throughout his professional career, Dr. Zeitler served as primary adviser to more than 150 postgraduate students. He created the original Chautauqua-type short course program for UGA and served as both state and national director, published numerous articles and co-authored a nationally recognized textbook, “Elementary School Science: A Perspective for Teachers.”
Dr. Zeitler's honors included membership in Phi Beta Kappa and the New York Academy of Science, and Fellowship in the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Above all, Dr. Zeitler was passionate about guiding and mentoring anyone who had the desire to learn.
In addition to his wife, Bill is survived by his three children, Stephen Zeitler of Jackson, Miss., Tina Asher and her husband, Baron, of San Diego, Calif., and Timothy Zeitler and his wife, Lisa, of Fairfax, Va., and by his granddaughter, Cami Asher of San Diego.
Bill will be remembered for his passion for science education, for his holiday cocktail parties, for his dry wit and “the look,” and for his love of his wife, family and his pet dachshunds.
Zeitler — A memorial service for William R. “Bill” Zeitler, who passed away Sunday, March 1, 2015, will be at 10 a.m. Monday at the UGA Catholic Center, 1344 Lumpkin St., Athens, Ga.In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Red Cross or the Athens Area Humane Society.Local arrangements are by the Borland Funeral Home, Leeper.Online condolences may be sent by visiting www.borlandfh.com.
