Jules Robert Zell

Jules Robert Zell, affectionately known as "Bob" to those close to him, passed away at his home in Daytona Beach, Florida, on November 17, 2024, at the age of 81.

Jules lived in Ocean Park, Puerto Rico throughout his childhood, with his brother, Roger, and his father, Jules F. Zell. After graduating high school, he moved to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to briefly rejoin his family before enlisting in the Air Force in 1961. There, he served as Fire/Crash Rescue at George Air Force Base, Vandenburg Air Force Base, and Sandre Stromfjord Air Force Base in Greenland. Upon retirement from the military, he used his previous experiences to gain employment with Eastern Airlines at JFK Airport as a Flight Crew Scheduler. Jules was soon promoted to Manager and worked in other airports as such before ending in MIA as an Employee Relations Specialist. Soon, he moved onto American Airlines and remained there for 18 years, retiring as Managing Director for Employee Relations (Miami, Caribbean, Central and South America, Mexico).

Following his retirement from the airlines, a Pastor and close friend of Jules suffered a tragic biking accident that resulted in a severe brain injury. Jules remained by his side, along with other church members, and spent many years assisting him with relearning vocabulary, reading, and writing to lead in cognitive, physical, and mental recovery. His faithful and helping heart was known in each church he attended, and led him to fund the Miracles in Action Foundation, a school in Guatemala, on behalf of his in-laws who were retired teachers. Beyond his love for helping others, Jules was known as an expert orchid grower, enjoyed fishing in freshwater, the Everglades, Bahamas, and Canadian Boundary Waters. He was an avid American and military History novice, and ran the New York City Marathon three times. Jules spent a lot of his free time traveling in his RV with his four dogs.

Jules Robert Zell is survived by his wife Marla (Talton), son Robert Christopher Zell and wife Mary Jo (Bigham), Robert's mother Emma A. Zell, and grandchildren Sophie Grace Zell of Bloomington, IN, and Samuel Robert Zell of Lubbock, TX.