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Hernando Today

He Sought To 'Make Hernando A Better Place'

Tribune file photo by DAVE CASEY (2007)

"He was always so interested in Hernando County and what it needed," Mary Ann DeWitt says of her husband, Bob. "He did a lot to make it a better place."

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By TONY MARRERO

Hernando Today

Published: February 12, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Bob DeWitt voted against plenty of projects during his eight-year tenure on the county's Planning and Zoning board.

But Mr. DeWitt approached the volunteer position in an "insightful" way and, regardless of his ultimate stance, "was always a gentleman," said Don Lacey, senior vice president for Coastal Engineering Associates, who brought many proposals before the board over the years.

"He would try to look at (a project) in a way to say, 'How can we make it work and make it better,'" Lacey recalled. "He was a bright man, and he understood very much the responsibility he was being given to have the county grow in a responsible manner."

Mr. DeWitt stepped down from the board last December, telling county commissioners his heart condition had worsened. He died Tuesday at the age of 69.

A Realtor by trade and a devoted family man, Mr. DeWitt will be remembered for his efforts to do more than just make a living in Hernando County, but to make it nicer for future generations, his wife of 45 years Mary Ann said Wednesday.

"He was always so interested in Hernando County and what it needed," Mary Ann DeWitt said. "He did a lot to make it a better place."

The Ohio native has over the years served on the board of directors of the Hernando County Association of Realtors, the Greater Hernando County Chamber of Commerce and the Hernando County Fair Association.

The DeWitts moved to Brooksville in 1963 and opened a real estate office in downtown Brooksville in 1970.

"He loved people, and the real estate business is a people profession," Mary Ann said. "He liked putting deals together and he enjoyed seeing things happen."

Mr. DeWitt was one of the "founding fathers" who established the real estate multiple listing service for Hernando County in 1971, said Marilyn Pearson-Adams, president of the Hernando County Association of Realtors.

As an agent and a person, "he was extremely knowledgeable and ethical," Pearson-Adams said. "He always left you with a smile."

Mr. DeWitt had an affinity for politics, chairing the gubernatorial campaign for Bob Graham and also working on Graham's senatorial bid. He arranged a tour for Jimmy Carter during his presidential campaign. And he considered Sen. Bill Nelson a friend.

Though Mr. DeWitt tended to favor Democrats, he voted for the best candidate, Mary Ann said. His allegiance to the Gators was a lot less flexible - three of the DeWitts' four children graduated from the University of Florida, and Mr. DeWitt chaired the annual golf fundraiser for scholarships to local students headed to Gainesville.

He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty for a laugh, participating in the milking contest at the county fair and showing his chicken plucking skills at the annual contest held in Spring Hill.

He left his mark throughout Hernando County in other ways. The DeWitts arranged and paid for the delivery of a limerock boulder to mark the entrance to Pasco-Hernando County Community College's Brooksville campus. Mr. DeWitt commissioned a painting of the old county courthouse together with the capital building in Tallahassee, presenting the original to Graham, who was governor at the time.

Mr. DeWitt amazed many by bouncing back after surgery to install a pump in his chest to aid his heart. He was back behind the planning and zoning dais in a matter of weeks.

"That was like physical therapy for Bob," Mary Ann said. "He loved that job."

Robert Widmar served with Mr. DeWitt on the zoning board and called him "an extremely kind man, but I'll tell you, street savvy," Widmar said.

When it came to the planning and zoning board, Mr. DeWitt "did his homework," Widmar said. "He knew the county and he knew the players."

The couple has seven grandchildren, and the patriarch was happy that several family members decided to stay close to Hernando County, Mary Ann said.

Their daughter Larie Hensley is owner of the Mallie Kyla's Cafe in Brooksville; daughter Kim Paff is an art teacher at Challenger K-8 School; son Robert had a theater in the county for six years and is working now on a project with Gulf Coast Academy. Son Barry of St. Petersburg is an investment banker.

"He was just so proud of his family," Mary Ann said.

Brewer & Sons Funeral Homes is handling funeral arrangements. A service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at St. Johns Episcopal Church in Brooksville. A celebration of life will follow at 4 p.m. at the Brooksville Golf and Country Club.

Reporter Tony Marrero can be reached at 352-544-5286 or lmarrero@hernandotoday.com.

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