James Albert Zitzer Sr., an electrical designer for the Whitman Requardt engineering firm, died of Parkinson’s disease complications May 4 at Gilchrist Care Towson. He was 85 and had lived in Mays Chapel and Charles Village.

Born in Baltimore and raised in Edmondson Village, he was the son of Sylvan Zitzer, a filling station owner, and his wife, Helen Scott. He attended Saint Bernardine’s School and was a graduate of Mount Saint Joseph High School.

After working at his father’s Howard Street gas station and at the Manger meat packing firm, he became an electrical project designer at Whitman, Requardt & Associates. He worked on numerous projects during his 46 years with the engineering firm.

Mr. Zitzer traveled widely and had assignments at the Norfolk Naval Station, Newport News Shipbuilding and General Dynamics Electric Boat in Connecticut while working with Whitman Requardt.

He met his future wife, Sharon Smoot Zitzer, at a company party. They married at Lovely Lane United Methodist Church.

He and his wife were among the residents evacuated from their East 26th Street home in 2014 when a stone wall collapsed along the CSX rail line. They spent five weeks in a Hunt Valley hotel.

“Jim was a classic Baltimore guy,” said his wife. “He made a lifetime of memories in Ocean City and liked corner taverns and his hard crabs and oysters. He loved living in Charles Village.”

He enjoyed wandering through the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Gallery, as well as the Smithsonian. A sports enthusiast, he was an ardent fan of the Baltimore Colts and the Orioles. Later, he was a Ravens fan.

“He loved debating stats and strategy with his grandsons,” his wife said.

His wife described him as an “adventurous foodie” who ate at restaurants twice a week. His favorites included Gertrude’s, Tio Pepe and the Prime Rib. He was also a seafood maven and over the years had hard crabs at Gunning’s, Obrycki’s, Jimmy’s and Costas Inn.

He liked his martinis “bone-dry with extra olives.”

As a young man, Mr. Zitzer would take lengthy walks at lunch. He was also a cyclist and joined his brother on a 410-mile bike adventure along the Outer Banks.

He was a cat fancier — on one of his walks, he found a pregnant cat he adopted — and enjoyed gardening.

Survivors include his wife of 35 years, Sharon Smoot Zitzer, a customer service representative at Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance; a daughter, Jeannie Bullen, of Annapolis; a brother, Richard Zitzer, of Ocean Pines; four grandsons; and a great-granddaughter. His son, James A. Zitzer Jr., died in 2021.

A celebration of life for James Albert Zitzer Sr. is being planned.

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