Robert Allan Rositzke

Robert Allan Rositzke, the infant son of Alison and Mike Rositzke of Manchester, N.H., died Sunday Sept. 14, 2003 at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center inLebanon, N.H.

Robert was born two days earlier by emergency C-section. Though he was three months premature, Robert's initial vital signs were surprisingly strong.Robert had a skiff of dark hair and the Rositzke family's prominent ears. Though he never opened hiseyes, his family decided they were blue. Unfortunately, Robert was not strong enough to survive. He met his brother, Will, 2-1/2, and thendied in his mother's arms after his doctors advised disconnecting life support systems.

Robert has many survivors in addition to his parents and brother.His paternal relatives include his grandparents, Marilyn and William Rositzke of Coxsackie, N.Y.; hisuncle, William, and his wife, Kerri, and their daughter, Maeve, of Coxsackie, N.Y. His maternal relatives include his grandparents, Sarah Culverwell and William Culverwell, both of Mercer Island, Wash.; his uncle, Allan Culverwell, and his wife, Lee, and their sons, Reed and Andrew, of Issaquah, Wash.; his aunts, Wendy Culverwell, of Mercer Island, Wash. and Hilary Culverwell, of Seattle, Wash.; and his great-grandmother, M. Starr Platt, of Santa Barbara, Calif.

A memorial service was held Saturday September 20, 2003 in Lambert Funeral Home & Crematory, 1799 Elm St., corner of North St., Manchester, NH.

In lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to David's House, which supports families of childrenhospitalized at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.