George Robert Blitch

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Mindy Blitch Vescovo on January 29, 2012:

He was born on Halloween 1931. His interests included old movies, live theater, brainteasers, acrostics, crosswords, the Uptown Poker Club, bowling, fishing with his West Point buddies, and all things baseball, especially the New York Yankees and the Texas Rangers. He loved language and words passionately. He despaired of the state of grammar in today's common usage and he often proofread, corrected, and returned personal letters. He memorized poems, Shakespearean sonnets, song lyrics, and foreign phrases just because be could. The sounds and syntax of another language fascinated him. He read and spoke French and Italian, and read Russian. He read the Bible completely - twice. He wrote satirical lyrics to many songs for the frequent "roasts" that the Geils, Haucks, Moores, Martha Perkins, and Blitchs held for almost every occasion - who could sing 'Blessed Assurance' as written after hearing Bob's ode to Don Hauck, 'Blessed Insurance'? A sophisticated world traveler who had dined at some of the nicest restaurants around the globe, Bob adored Oreos and Cheetos. He disdained any addition to coffee yet was known as "Latte Bob" at a local coffee shop. Nothing disturbed his daily habit of a single glass of Bombay Sapphire gin with olive juice and two olives although he appreciated wine with a meal, particularly enjoying Montepulciano and Sangiovese reds. He listened to classical and classic country music. He played the banjo, violin, and most especially, the guitar. He sang along with Broadway show tunes, patriotic anthems, and hymns, and he usually knew all the words to all the verses. He was an Elder in the Presbyterian church, a board member and treasurer of Austin Civic Ballet, a Rotarian, Mensan, Tau Beta Pi member, and owner of Skandinavia Contemporary Interiors. He was well known and highly respected for his integrity and honesty. Bob could and frequently did sit in a room alone, with the lights out, watching an old movie or baseball game, content to be exactly where he was, doing exactly what he wanted to do. He said often that he wanted his epitaph to read, "He lived, he died, he knew who he was." And that was enough.

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