Dr. Robert Merrill Strimer Jr.

Dr. Robert Merrill Strimer Jr., 80, of Greeneville, passed away peacefully after a brief illness.

Bob is survived by his beloved wife: Diane; his siblings: Judy and Steve; his children: Kirstin, Bobby and Rebecca; their spouses: David, Shannon, and Kyle; his grandchildren: Margot, Frances, Jack, and Finnegan; and his sister-in-law: Eleanor.

He was preceded in death by his infant son: William Kirman; his brother: Peter; and his parents: Jane Rose and Robert Strimer Sr.

Bob was born in Parkersburg, West Virginia, and grew up in Delaware, Ohio. He attended Amherst College and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

He served in the U.S. Air Force as a surgeon stationed in Blytheville, Arkansas, and he completed his urology training at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Hanover, New Hampshire.

He married Diane in 1970 after a whirlwind courtship, and moved with his family to Greeneville in 1976 to set up his urologic medical practice.

He was an active member of St. James Episcopal Church and served in several roles in the Diocese of East Tennessee.

Bob was a lover of music. As a young man, he taught himself to play guitar and became a gifted picker and teacher. He played with the Candlelight Players performing in Greeneville, and he always had his guitar ready for any gathering of family and friends. He also sang in the St. James choir for many years making lifelong friends.

As a physician, Bob made his patients his top priority. Taking care of others was his passion and his life's work. After retiring from medicine in 2007, he joined CASA of Northeast Tennessee as a volunteer to advocate for and serve children in his community. He also served as a rules official with the Tennessee Golf Association to stay connected to his love of golf and sports.

He and Diane spent their retirement years traveling the country in his Miata, relishing time with their friends, children, and grandchildren, and finding new adventures together. Somehow he also managed to make time to tend to a bountiful garden.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to CASA of Northeast Tennessee, P.O. Box 1021, Johnson City, TN 37605; or World Central Kitchen Donor Services Team, 200 Massachusetts Ave. N.W., 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20001.

A memorial service will be March 11 at 2 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Greeneville, followed by a reception at Link Hills Country Club.

Arrangements are provided by Doughty-Stevens Funeral Home.