Robert Otto Etzler

Robert Otto Etzler, 90, died peacefully on Wednesday, December 23, 2020 at Dupont Lutheran Hospital, Ft Wayne, IN. He was born on February 18, 1930 to the late Ruth (Boenke) and Otto Etzler on the Etzler family farm near Convoy, OH. Robert was baptized on March 2, 1930 in the German Lutheran Church. He graduated from Van Wert High School in 1948. Robert attended Valparaiso University and received his bachelor degree in Civil Engineering on June 1, 1952. He started his career at Joy Manufacturing Company in Michigan City, IN. Within several months he was inducted into the Army where he served in the Philippines and Korea as a Corporal in the 29th Engineer Battalion. Robert married Hazel Bremer on August 28, 1954; they were married for 54 years. After discharge from the Army, he worked for the Illinois Highway Department in Ottawa, IL. His professional career progressed with Kingscott Associates in Kalamazoo, MI and Charles Cole & Son in South Bend, IN. In 1968 he moved his family to Ft Wayne where he became Chief Structural Engineer for Schenkel & Schultz. He retired as a partner in 1992. Robert was a member of Concordia Lutheran Church in Ft Wayne where he served as an Elder and a Stephen Ministry leader. He was proud to be a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. In 1995 he was awarded “Citizen Engineer” by the Engineer Technical Society of Northeastern Indiana. He was a member of the Northside-Ft Wayne Optimist Club and was named “Optimist of the Year” in 2005. As a Purdue University Associate Professor at the Ft Wayne IUPU extension, he shared his vast knowledge with his students in Applied Structures. Robert is survived by his children, Cynthia (Paul) Budek of Chicago, IL, Deborah (Kevin) Grabe of Tucson, AZ, Denise Fix of Indianapolis, IN, Christine (Mark) Smith of Minnetonka MN, Rev. Andrew (Carolyn) Etzler of Centralia, MO and John (Tricia) Etzler of Monona, WI; 14 grandchildren; and 7 great-grandchildren; siblings, Gordon (Jerri) Etzler, and Alice (Tim) Roehrs; and sister-in-law, Helen Etzler. He was preceded in death by his wife, Hazel; sister, Marguerite Boerger; brother, Kenneth Etzler; and son-in-law, Jack Fix. Private family services are being held. The family invites you to join them via livestream services at 1:00pm on Thursday, December 31, by visiting the Hockemeyer & Miller Facebook page. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to Concordia Lutheran Church (https://concordiachurch.org/giving), and Heart to Heart Hospice (https://www.htohhfoundation.org/donation) in Fort Wayne.