Virginia Lawyers Weekly VA Lawyers Weekly
Tazewell attorney Robert B. Altizer Sr. died Sept. 4. He was 71.
The eighth generation of his family to live in Southwest Virginia, Mr. Altizer was born in Richlands and graduated from Rich- lands High School in 1969. He went on to attend Virginia Tech, where he established the university’s Tau Kappa Epsilon chapter. Mr. Altizer earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from Virginia Tech.
In 1977, Mr. Altizer earned his juris doc- tor from the T.C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond. Following law school, he returned to Southwest Virginia, taking a job at the Tazewell law rm Gilles- pie, Gillespie & Hart.
In a career that spanned more than 40 years, Mr. Altizer worked to zealously defend his clients in his criminal defense practice and practiced in the areas of family law, per- sonal injury and litigation. At the time of his death, he was a senior partner at Gillespie, Hart, Altizer & Whitesell, P.C.
Mr. Altizer served as the Virginia State Bar president from 1996-97 and served the VSB on the Committee on Lawyer Discipline and the Bench-Bar Relations Committee. He also served the community of Tazewell as direc- tor of the Tazewell Area Chamber of Com- merce and as president of both the Tazewell County Human Services Board and Tazewell Little League Baseball.
An avid Virginia Tech Hokies supporter, Mr. Altizer served his alma mater as director of the Virginia Tech Foundation and presi- dent of the Virginia Tech Athletic Fund. His family said he especially loved Virginia Tech football and that his heaven was game day.
At home, Mr. Altizer loved to coach his kids and their friends in several sports and served the Tazewell Presbyterian Church as an elder.
Mr. Altizer is survived by his wife, Tina; his sons, Brooks and Cort; his daughters, Cary, Molly, Samantha, Kameron, Elizabeth and Jensen; six grandchildren; and his siblings, Johnny, Janis and Jimmy.
