Robert G. Zillig, entrepreneur, inventor

Robert G. Zillig, 89, of Florida, formerly of Buffalo, died on Friday, Jan. 25, 2008 at Wuesthoff Hospice Care Center.

Born in Buffalo and raised in Clarence and Amherst, Mr. Zillig, served a brief term in the Merchant Marines and was a machinist at Bell Aircraft in Niagara Falls.

Mr. Zillig sold farm fresh eggs door to door, bottled and sold bleach and was a real estate salesman. At age 44, he invented the Jiffy-Tite quick connect fluid coupler. There are now more than 140,000 Jiffy-Tite connectors sold per day on six continents.

During his lifetime, Mr. Zillig owned more than 100 cars, 100 boats and four airplanes. He and and his wife raced cars and boats, sailed the Great Lakes and toured North America in their motor coach.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Shirley; one son, Steven, and two daughters, Linda and Christine. He was predeceased by his daughter Bonnie in 1992.

Services were held on Sunday, Jan. 27 at the Lost Lakes Clubhouse. Arrangements were made by the Beckman-Williamson Funeral Home in Florida.