Miles Zobie, laboratory teaching assistant in the School of Culinary Arts, passed away January 13 due to a brain aneurysm at age 42.
“Miles was a hard worker and he had concern for the students in his area. He wanted the students to be excited to study,” said Randy Bublitz, associate professor in the school of culinary arts.
He said that Zobie’s message to the students was simply to “Keep trying.”
Bublitz attended the memorial service held at Welch- Ryce- Haider Chapels January 19 in Goleta. Zobie is missed by family, friends, co- workers and students. He is survived by his wife Donna and their three children.
Bublitz said that both he and Marc Sullivan, food service director, spoke at the memorial service where there were 200- 250 people.
“Miles was a quiet person and you needed to learn how to interpret him,” Sullivan said. “He was a family man and sometimes he took two jobs to support them. He also treated the students the way a parent treats a kid.”
Zobie had a background in environmental science but began working as a sous chef at City College in 2001. In July 2003 he became a laboratory teaching assistant and was scheduled to teach this semester.
Bublitz said a brain aneurysm is something you are born with and that there are usually no symptoms. However, Zobie suffered from an unrelated flu just days before he passed away, Bublitz said.
Culinary Arts student Anthony Lombarti, who also attended the memorial service, said “His way of teaching related to the real world of the industry. It was more of an experience than just a class,” Lombarti said.
Culinary Arts student Hayden Dozier said, “Miles was a good guy. Well- rounded and educated. He was more of a friend than a constructor. We used to joke with him by setting the kitchen timer and hiding it during class.”
Culinary Arts student Sylvia Wood said that Zobie was usually the one who cooked at home so a group of students will now meet once a month to make food packages for Donna and the children.
Wood said that her favourite days were those when Zobie would turn to his students and say “Let’s make something new.”
“We would look around the kitchen, find something and then taste it every step along the way,” Wood said. “The last thing we made was Asian Chicken Salad.”
“Zobie had many facial expressions and looks. He used one word sentences but we still knew what he meant,” she said.
Sullivan also talked about his quiet nature, “Miles said, ‘Hey,’ and it would mean ‘Come over here, and see what I’m doing.’ You had to read between the lines.”
Bublitz said that Zobie will live on in the knowledge that will travel with his students. He will continue to touch lives as the students he taught teach other people what they learned.