[BobbyB]

Robert Lotz, a Founder of The ALS Association, Remembered
By Gary Wosk, Staff Writer


W. Robert Lotz

W. Robert Lotz, one of the founders of The ALS Association and a member of the organization’s National Board of Trustees for more than two decades, passed away on Saturday, January 26 in Milwaukee, Wis., at age 87.
The passing of Lotz after a long battle with heart disease will be felt at all levels of The Association and beyond.

“This is a man who was one of the founders of The Association and devoted 30 years to taking it from a relatively minor organization to the premiere ALS association in the United States,” said Allen L. Finkelstein, chairman of The Association’s National Board of Trustees. “He served as chair, served on innumerable committees and was always there when we needed him.”

Lotz, who lived in Bayside, Wis., passed away on the same day that the prestigious award named in his honor, the Lotz Humanitarian Award, was presented at The Association’s 2008 Annual Conference.

“At the same time he was leaving us, he was still with us,” said Gary A. Leo, president and CEO of The ALS Association. “As a founder, he served with distinction, unparalleled determination and commitment to achieve the mission of The ALS Association.”

Robert Abendroth, a fellow founder and also a board trustee, said Lotz, his close friend since the 1950s, will always be remembered by The Association for founding the Lotz Humanitarian Award in 1997. The award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated devotion to patient services and has promoted quality of life and the welfare of patients and their families.

“His primary interest was to help the patients, and he was very proud of establishing and funding this award. This will be the memorial that he left,” Abendroth said.

“His love for the care of patients was epitomized by the award,” Leo added.

There was never any uncertainty about how Lotz, born in New York, felt about a particular issue, and this style served him well at The Association and during his long, successful career as an international importer of extracts for the tanning industry.

“He was a very strong person who was always very straightforward and candid in his expression. You knew exactly where he stood on everything, and he was intensely loyal,” Abendroth said.

“By transferring his astute, innovative and visionary business skills to the board, Lotz was a major contributor to the efficient operation of The Association,” Leo said.

“What I will miss most about Bob is his analytical ability to help us uncover how we can look to solving problems,” Leo said.

There would not have been an ALS Association without individuals such as Lotz, who demonstrated equal fervor and dedication in building a compassionate organization for persons afflicted with Lou Gehrig’s Disease and having a successful business career.

Lotz became involved in the fight against ALS in the early 1980s when Abendroth, whose wife had ALS at the time, invited him to serve on the board of the Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based ALS Society of America (ALSSOA). ALSSOA later merged with New York-based National ALS Foundation (NALS) to form The ALS Association in 1985, which both Lotz and Abendroth helped found.

Lotz, who served two terms as chairman of The Association’s National Board of Trustees during the period of 1993-1997 and often was the chair of the Patient Services Committee, also was very proud of his role in co-founding The Association’s flourishing National Certified Center of ExcellenceSM program. At the certified centers, people with ALS are offered comprehensive care by a multidisciplinary team of specialists who work closely with The Association’s chapters. By 2008, 32 such centers were operating and improving the quality of life for people living with the disease.

After graduating in 1942 with a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from Worcester Polytech Institute in Mass., Lotz eventually became a master tanner, ascending to the position of superintendent of the largest leather tannery in the U.S., Albert Trostel and Sons Co., where he supervised more than 800 employees.

In 1959, Lotz decided to start his own business. The company he acquired, Crystal Extract and Chemical Co. and later called Cecco Trading Co., was an international importer of extracts for the tanning industry.

Lotz was chairman of the board of Timber Holdings Inc., which he formed in 1971 with his son Brian Lotz. The company is an importer and distributor of naturally durable hard woods.

Lotz assumed leadership roles at the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches and North Shore Congregational Church of Milwaukee. He chaired both the Executive Committee of the Commission on the Ministry for the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches along with various boards at North Shore Congregational Church.

He was the beloved husband of Adelle Jean Lotz for 65 years. He is survived by his loving children, Barbara Lotz, Bonnie Bellows, W. Robert Lotz and Brian Lotz. His daughter, Dr. Betsey Snider-Lotz, and his brother, William Lotz, have passed away. He also is survived by 17 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

A memorial service and reception honoring his life will held at 10 a.m., Saturday, February 2 at St. John’s on the Lake, 1840 North Prospect Avenue, Milwaukee, Wis. Visitation will begin at 9:30 a.m. The Lotz family thanked the staff of St. John’s on the Lake for the patient and tender care they gave him over the last nine months.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in his name can be made to The ALS Association or to St. John’s on the Lake, (414) 272-2022.