Robert (Bob) Merrill Pfeiffer, 74, of Port Republic, MD. passed away peacefully in residence at the Burnett Hospice Care facility in Prince Frederick MD on Sept. 20, 2019. He is survived by the love of his life, Shirley, step son Tim, granddaughter Jenna, great grandson Theo. Survived by two nephews, two nieces, two grand nephews and two grand nieces; survived by his brothers Bill, and Eric (Diane).
Robert was born in Washington DC, raised in Alexandria VA, attended and graduated from Alexandria public schools. He graduated from Ohio Weslyan University with a major in Zoology. Robert moved to Calvert County after completing his graduate work in Zoology at Georgetown University, Washington DC. Bob was hired by the Calvert County Board of Education to teach the physical sciences in the Fall of 1968. He was initially assigned to Calvert High School eventually being transferred to Northern High School. Within his school system career he taught a German language class for at least one year;. coached football and basket ball at Calvert HS; coached football at Northern HS. He left the teaching profession in the early ’80’s. He went into business as an independent home improvement contractor predominately working in Calvert County. Robert was contracted to build the Solomon’s Visitor Center.
He intermingled paid work as a private contractor with non profit volunteer work in various projects throughout Calvert County. He was heavily involved in the refurbishing the Calvert One Room School House on Broomes Island Road in Port Republic; he spent volunteer time applying his carpentry skills to repairs and upgrades at the Calvert Marine Museum. He was involved with voluntarily attending to the refreshment needs of musical entertainers in the “Green Room” during numerous Calvert Marine museum concerts.
Robert closed his business after 14 or more years. He returned to his field of science taking a job with the Maryland Oyster Recovery program. He helped with planning the rebuilding and relocation of oyster bars in the tributaries of the Chesapeake. He was a member of the Chesapeake Watermen’s Association while running his own crab lines and working on Maryland’s Oyster Recovery Program. Eventually, after leaving the Oyster program, he was hired by the Calvert County government taking a job in the capital projects department. One of his largest assignments there was as the liaison for the county during the construction of the Edward T. Hall aquatic center in Prince Frederick. This project was completed in 2010. Robert left this position and began work with other construction contractors which required commuting to Washington DC. He worked as a project safety officer for independent contractors who had Federal contracts within Washington. He did work for a non profit group in Washington DC, during one period of longer unemployment around the time frame of the Oyster Recover Program. This nonprofit group assisted individuals that were 50+ and unemployed while he was unemployed. This long spell of unemployment after his earlier jobs was his retirement period. He continued with his last Washington contractor job until the Friday before the recently past Labor Day weekend.
One of Robert’s talents, or passions, was playing the guitar. He was a talented player of the five string banjo for many years as well. It is a certainty that many may have seen or heard him and Eric, not his brother, but music partner, playing music at various settings…..throughout Calvert, most frequently in the Solomons (Island) MD area.
Robert will be missed by the family, many extended family members and friends that knew him through his walk in this life before and during his half century of Calvert residence in Port Republic since the late 1960’s.
All services will be held at Trinity United Methodist Church, 90 Church Street, Prince Frederick MD, 20678. Viewing will be held from 5-8PM on Monday, Sept. 30; memorial Service will be held at 11AM on Tuesday Oct. 1; interment will follow immediately after the memorial service at Asbury Cemetery, route 231 West from Prince Frederick roughly two miles from Trinity UMC.
In lieu of flowers donations made in Robert Pfeiffer’s name are suggested to: The Calvert Marine Museum (calvertmarinemuseum.com) or PO Box 97, Solomons MD 20688; End Hunger In Calvert County (https://endhungercalvert.org/partners-food-pantry/); or a favorite of the donating individual.
