Robert Katz

Robert H. Katz, “Bob,” aged 77 of Columbus, Ohio, succumbed to a sudden illness on December 26, 2022. Thank you to the caring professionals at Riverside Methodist Hospital who provided Bob a brief but peaceful ending to his fifty years in the city he loved. Born in Washington, PA, Bob was the son of Irvin “Sam” and Clara Urbanik Katz who predeceased him. Bob has lived in the Columbus area since 1972, most recently residing at the Wesley Glen Retirement Community. Bob’s spouse of 39 years, Anna Rebecca (Becky) Rockey Katz, preceded him in death on August 30, 2009. His family and cherished friends find comfort in knowing Bob and Becky are together once again. Bob is survived by his only sibling, Sidney Katz of Washington D.C., his half-brother-in-law and spouse David Paul and Suzanna Bozman, nephew Alex Lutz of Maryland, first cousins, Ellie Katz Blatt (David), Robin Katz Levinson (Bruce), Jeffery Capitani, Sandra Capitani, and many treasured friends across the country. Bob attended school in several small towns near Pittsburgh graduating from Beaver Falls High School in 1963. He moved to Youngstown, OH soon thereafter where he worked in retail sales with J. C. Penney & Co. While there, he began his studies at Youngstown State University, graduating in 1971 with a degree in Business Administration. While in Youngstown, he also met and married Becky, the love of his life. The couple relocated to Columbus in 1972 when Bob entered The Ohio State University School of Law, receiving his J.D. in 1975 and being admitted to the Bar that same year. Bob had a passion for history as well as coin and stamp collecting. He traveled to European WW II sites with the OSU history department in 2012 and again in 2013. His passion extended to enjoying other outings with his “WW II Buddies”, researching and reading about that time in history, and adding to his book, coin and stamp collections from the period. Bob began his legal career by joining the Ohio Department of Insurance in 1975. At the end of his tenure, he served as the Interim Director of Insurance. In 1983, he moved to the newly formed insurance division of J. C. Penney as Senior Counsel, ultimately serving as the company’s General Counsel. When J. C. Penney sold its insurance business in 1990, Bob returned to the Ohio Department of Insurance serving as Assistant Director – Chief Counsel until 1997. As Attorney of Counsel, Bob joined the premier Columbus law firm of Bricker & Eckler LLP that year where he remained until his retirement in 2019. Shortly after retiring, Bob sold the Clintonville home he and Becky so cherished and took up residence at the Wesley Glen Retirement Community. There he enjoyed new friends, visits and excursions with longtime friends, time with his hobbies, his service in the Wesley Glen library, and all the wonderful events (and food!) provided by the Community. Bob’s friends and family wish to express their deep appreciation to the Wesley Glen staff who ensured Bob’s final years were full of health, adventures, and the love shared with everyone he encountered. While in law school, Bob developed a lifelong passion for OSU football and TBDBITL (the Buckeye marching band for non-Ohioans). He attended the Rose Bowl in Pasadena when the Buckeyes played in the 2014 inaugural college bowl playoff game and traveled with the team and band to London, England in 2015. Bob was known to admit that at times he enjoyed the band more than the football; ultimately he and his wife’s love of the band led them to endow a student scholarship in the music department. In addition to the music scholarship, they endowed scholarships in the Schools of Nursing, Dentistry, and Athletics among others. The Robert H. and Anna Rebecca Katz endowments will support educational opportunities at their beloved Ohio State University in perpetuity. Go Bucks! A celebration of Bob’s life will be held in the Wesley Glen Retirement Community auditorium, 5155 North High Street, Columbus, OH on Monday, January 30, 2023, from 2:00 to 5:00 pm with the formal service beginning at 3:00 pm To join the service virtually, download Zoom to your phone or computer beforehand, and secure the required access information by reply email, please email Dawn Swartz at Wesley Glen (dswartz@thewesleyway.org) or leaving your email address on Dawn's voice mail at 614-396-4825. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Wesley Glen Charitable trust can be made in Bob’s memory at https://lec.org/foundation/donate/wesley-general-donation/ God’s Peace to you, Bob, and to all those you touched here on Earth.

Robert Katz

June 1, 1945 - December 26, 2022