Robert Eiland

EILAND, Robert Everett, 72, a retired Metro-Dade Police Dept. Officer from 1960-1986, passed from this earth to be with Our Lord May 5, 2005, at his home in Lakeport. He was born September 10, 1932, in Brooksville, to John and Grace (Storch) Eiland. He served in the U.S. Marine Corp from August 1949 to December 1952, as a radio operator in the Korean Conflict and received the U.N. Service Ribbon-Good Conduct medal and was recently honored with a medal in appreciation by the Korean-American Cultural Foundation for protecting our freedoms, the United States of America, which commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Korean War. While serving in the Marines at Quantico, Va., he was selected to represent the military in a recruiting documentary film. He was a lifetime member of the Disabled American Veterans Association and the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Until his retirement most of his adult life was spent in Miami as a police officer with the Metro-Dade County Public Safety Dept., beginning as a patrolman, later he served in the Organized Crime Bureau and also a Port of Miami detective. During his off duty schedule he was a personal body guard for George D. Widener of the Hialeah racetrack. Upon his retirement he relocated to Lakeport, where he and his wife, Nita, built their "Shangri-la" dream home. His enjoyment was bass and fly fishing and guiding his many friends around Lake Okeechobee. Another recreation he got pleasure from was fowl hunting and he was an expert marksman. Robert enjoyed teaching adult Sunday School and Bible Studies previously at Maple Grove Baptist Church in Lakeport and most currently as a member of Buckhead Ridge Baptist Church in Buckhead Ridge. Mr. Eiland was predeceased by his parents, John and Grace Eiland; brothers, Harold "Bud" Eiland, George Eiland; infant brother, Billy Eiland; sister, Selma Sharon; great-granddaughter, Krystle Abare; and great-grandson, Kyle Fogg. Survivors include his wife, Nita; daughters, Bobbie (Gilbert) Cartwright of Leesburg, Karen Eiland of Ocala, Debra (Ronnie) Campbell of Key West, Donna (Greg) Staab of Perry, Cathy Lauderdale of Fort Pierce; stepchildren, Major Brent (Jeenie) Abare of Korea, Scot (Wendy) Abare of Cabot, Vt., and Heidi Abare of Sterling, Mass.; second father to Chadwick Wagner of Cooper City, Dick Brown of West Palm Beach, Dr. Hunter Brown of Boca Raton and Bobby Thompson of Okeechobee; 15 grandchildren; and 14 great-grandchildren; sisters, Lillian Ullrich of San Antonio, Fla., Kathleen Singleton of Pensacola; sister-in-law, Mae Eiland of Shreveport, La.; as well as many nieces and nephews in Florida, Louisiana, North Carolina, and California. Funeral services with military honors will be 2 p.m. Monday, May 9, 2005, at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. Memorial contributions may be made to Hope Hospice, 100 WC Owen Ave., Clewiston, FL 33440. All anangements are entrusted to the loving care of Bass Okeechobee Funeral Home and Crematory.