Robert "Joe" Hartman Zellers, 79, passed away on July 17, 2024. He had been a resident of Maine and New Hampshire for almost 39 years. He was born in San Angelo, TX, on January 14, 1945, to Margaret Louise Zellers, nee Hartman, and Billy Bob Zellers. Joe grew up as an Air Force brat during his father's 30 years of service and moved frequently, including living in Japan, England, and many different states. Before leaving Riverside, CA for Nebraska, he attained the rank of Eagle Scout with the Boy Scouts of America. He graduated from Bellevue HS near Omaha, NE, in 1963 and attended the University of Nebraska in Lincoln (UNL) on a track and field scholarship. He was a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and always remained loyal and giving to his Sigma Chi brothers. He met Karyl Lynn Bartolain on a blind date in November 1965, and they wed in Omaha, NE, on August 20, 1966.

After Joe and Karyl graduated with Bachelor of Science degrees in Zoology at UNL, Joe was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and was stationed at Little Rock AFB in Jacksonville, AR, where he and Karyl had two daughters. Joe was a pioneer in the field of Aerospace Physiology. After receiving his master's degree in Physiology from the University of Southern California in 1975, while living in San Dimas, CA, where his third daughter was born, he became an associate professor at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. His final assignment as Chief of Aerospace Physiology was at Pease AFB in Portsmouth, NH, retiring as a Major in the summer of 1988. Joe went on to work as a staff physiologist and consultant in high-altitude oxygen equipment and training for the next 27 years, traveling around the world.

Joe was a passionate, generous, and loving husband, father, and friend. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, James Hartman Zellers. He is survived by his wife, Karyl of Eliot, ME, and his three daughters and their husbands: Kerith Stender (Marcus) of Fruita, CO, Jennifer Remick (Dan) of York, ME, and Kathryn Hale (Steve) of Cape Neddick, ME; his four grandchildren, Christian and Connor Remick, and Wyatt and Delanie Hale, who fondly called him JoJo; his sister-in-law Barbara Erickson (Joel); sister-in-law Ann Zellers; and his niece Caitlin Zellers. He loved us all so very much!

Joe leaves behind the legacy of his career and his influence on his family in many ways. He loved many beautiful things, including all types of music, the Rocky Mountains, Porsches, and Weimaraners. He was a diehard Nebraska Cornhuskers fan and would dance all night to the Beatles. He jumped out of airplanes, hiked mountains, and watched foreign films. We will miss him fiercely!