|
|
Architect dies in head-on collision
|
| | 
|  |
| |  | | 
| | | Robert Visser. Courtesy photo (click for larger version) | |
February 03, 2010 | 03:43 PM
Nothing could have prepared one Huntington family for the Jan. 27 car crash that killed their husband and father Robert Visser, 53, an architect with a knack for mapping out road trips and having memorized the streets he traversed as a former Manhattan cab driver.
The accident occurred at about 7:25 pm along Route 25A in Centerport. Police had not determined by press time what caused Visser's 1996 Honda Civic to collide head-on with the 2007 Mercedes Benz driven by Fort Salonga resident Gaby Gold, whose injuries left her hospitalized but in stable condition this week. Her husband, Mark Gold, could not be reached for comment.
No witnesses have come forward but police are still investigating the accident. "Apparently someone crossed over the line but we don't know who," said 2nd Precinct Detective Lt. Thomas O'Heir, who encouraged anyone with any information to call the precinct at 854-8252.
A dream realized
Visser worked for Computerized Facility Integration, a facilities management company that six months ago acquired Visser Software Services, the firm he founded in 1990.
In the latter months of his life, Visser was able to do what he did best. "Bob was so thrilled because he didn't have to run a whole small business by himself but could really focus on his specialty of problem solving," his wife, Heidi, said. "He was a very deep thinker. He was the kind of person who could not give you a yes or no answer. He was the kind of person who would give you a complete answer."
Visser seemed to have lived the American Dream. Born in Marrakesh, Morocco, he lived with his family in Pakistan for a short time before emigrating to Abbington, Penn.
The young boy was so influenced by his dad, a civil engineer and artist whom he accompanied on weekend inspections of projects, that he knew by age 8 he wanted to be an architect, Heidi recalled.
He moved to New York City to study architecture at Pratt Institute, where he met his wife, Heidi Steinhauer; became a registered architect in 1982 and worked on facade inspections and commercial renovation there.
A quarter century in Huntington
As a teen, Visser had enjoyed scouting but had to give it up to go to work, Heidi said. Soon after they moved to the area in 1984, he founded a Boy Scout troop through the local Kiwanis Club and had the chance to once again enjoy scouting, this time as a leader.
"It was just a wonderful way of coming into the Huntington local community — immediately having friends and contacts and a network," Heidi said.
In their early days here, Visser opened a business in town, working on residential designs. He spent his free time fixing up the couple's handyman special on Glenna Little Trail.
Once he became a professional in computer-aided design, Visser was frequently called upon to train other architects on the system. He also developed software to further enhance architects' capabilities.
Characterizing her father has a fun person, Julie Visser, 23, of Huntington said, "He always knew how to cheer people up. In bad situations he would always know what to say to kind of make people smile and laugh, and enjoy the smaller things that are still around."
Kristi, 19, a sophomore at college, studying Japanese language and culture, recalled how family trips brought out the consummate planner in her dad.
"He'd research everything and know every little bit of it," Kristi said. "I never really thought about it, but who else was going to do that? It made it easier for everyone. It wasn't a burden to him. He enjoyed it."
In addition to his wife and daughters, Visser is survived by his parents, Rudy and Annelies VandenAssem Visser of Pennsylvania; sister, Verena Visser Aibel of New Jersey; and brother Kenneth Visser of Maryland. Donations in his memory may be made to The Waldorf School of Garden City, 225 Cambridge Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530 or at www.waldorfgarden.org.
| |
|
|
|
| |
Copyright 2010
(631) 751-7744 | news@tbrnewspapers.com | www.northshoreoflongisland.com | About |
|
| |
|
