Read Robert John Patla's Obituary & Leave Condolences

In memory of

Robert John Patla

Safety Harbor, FL, USA

September 13, 1946 - August 16, 2021

Sep 13, 1946 - Aug 16, 2021

In lieu of flowers

Please consider a gift to American Cancer Society.

Learn more & give
Help keep everyone in the know by sharing this memorial website.

Share

Photo

Robert John Patla, 74, loving father and husband, passed on August 16, 2021, at Moffitt
Cancer Center in Tampa, Florida, in the arms of his wife and soulmate of 20 years,
Linda Nafey. He had a long and courageous battle with cancer, and remained positive
and hopeful until the end. He lived his dreams and was loved and admired by many.
Robert was born on September 13, 1946, in Kearny, New Jersey to Theodore E. and Helen C.
(Adamski) Patla (both deceased). He is also predeceased by his brother Theodore A.
Patla and his sister, Loretta Engels.

Robert graduated from Kearny High School in 1964 and joined the U.S. Air Force in
1967. After his honorable discharge as a sergeant in 1971, he attended Fairleigh
Dickinson University where he received his Bachelors Degree in Economics, then his
Masters Degree from the California School of Professional Psychology, and later his
Ph.D He worked as a Clinical Psychologist for the County of San Mateo, California for
19 years. He is survived by four daughters and three grandchildren; Christine Dilkes
Cook (Kerry) and her daughter Chelsea Dilkes, Jennifer Patla Mokrzecki, Dayna Brooke
Rose, and Danielle Patla Herbst (Scott) and her two children Dylan and Parker. He
loved his daughters and grandchildren. One of his few regrets was that due to the
onset and duration of Covid, plus living on different coasts, prevented more in person
visits.

Robert met Linda when they were both living in San Francisco. They were avid food
lovers and took frequent advantage of all the fine restaurants in the Bay Area and the
superb wines in the vineyards of Napa and Sonoma. He loved to travel; as did she, and
after retiring they bought a home in Seminole, Florida, where they lived for 6 years.
They sold their home in Florida and moved to Malta in 2017 with the expectation of
establishing European residency and experiencing life in different cultures. He was
extremely inquisitive and enjoyed learning and researching everything from quantum
theory to how to make an excellent bolognese sauce. He was a softhearted animal lover,
as can be attested to by his two surviving cats, Cyrus and Little Girl, who moved to
Europe with them, becoming world traveler kitties. He became ill in Europe, and the
mixed breed family had to return home for his monthly treatments at one of the best
facilities for his particular cancer. Fortunately, he and Linda had traveled extensively
over the years before it became impossible to do so.

Robert spent the last year and a half of his life in a beautiful small town in Florida;
Safety Harbor. It is aptly named. It was a very special time for both Linda and Robert;
bringing life's frailties and the knowledge of what is really important, love,
compassion, family, and friends clearly into perspective; knowing that experiences are
far greater than possessions, material things mean nothing, and all that really matters
is your bond with those you love in your life. He will be in the hearts of those he loved,
and those who loved him, forever; a life well and truly lived.

Due to Covid, a celebration of Robert's life will be postponed to a later date.

Order a beautiful PDF you can print and save or share.

Get the PDF

Get notified when new photos, stories and other important updates are shared.

Please consider a gift to American Cancer Society.

$30.00

Raised by 1 person

Learn more & give