Robert C. Volz of Millville passed away on Sunday, March 29 at Nanticoke Memorial Hospital in Seaford.
Born on November 5, 1951, in Washington, D.C., he was the son of Charles H. M. Volz and Margaret Gourlay Volz.
A retired Chemical Industry Executive, he was a graduate of High Point University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and Business Administration. He began his professional career in research and development and then used his knowledge of chemistry and his business acumen to market industrial chemicals.
A devout Christian and a very compassionate man, he served as a Stephen Minister, at Mariner’s Bethel United Methodist Church in Ocean View. Through this lay ministry, he provided care and spiritual guidance to people who were experiencing difficult times in their lives. He also represented his church as a member of the SESM, the Southeast Sussex Ministerium, an ecumenical group of Christian congregations in Lower Delaware who have joined together to spread the word of Christ through their prayers and outreach programs. With the financial and spiritual backing of the Ministerium, he was instrumental in helping to reopen, operate, and maintain, the Code Purple Homeless Shelter in Bethany Beach, for the winter of 2019-2020.
With a strong desire to help people who were in mental, emotional or physical distress, he worked for NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, as the Community Engagement Coordinator for Sussex County. He also served his community as a member of the Lord Baltimore Lions Club, in Ocean View, and was a lifelong member of the Virginia Jaycees.
Preceded in death by his father, Charles H. M. Volz, Robert is survived by his mother, Margaret G. Volz, of Gaithersburg, Maryland; his sister Maureen V. Hambrecht (Terry), of Rockville, Maryland; his son, Steven R. Volz (Kristeen) of Fort Wayne, Indiana; his daughter, Charlene R. Kotraba (Matthew) of Sterling, Virginia; and five grandchildren: Makayla and Samantha Volz; and James, Milena and Otto Kotraba. Robert was the devoted companion of Linda L. Zoulek of Seaford, Delaware.
A Celebration of his Life will be held at a future date. Arrangements are in the care of Cranston’s Funeral Home, in Seaford. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. https://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?fr_id=7939&pg=team&team_id=302620. Please, view and sign the family guestbook at www.cranstonfuneralhome.com.