Nuts....

MARGATE· He had spent the day after Thanksgiving with his granddaughter, looking for a Christmas tree.As the sun made its way down, Robert Oris, 81, bid his granddaughter and two great-grandchildren goodbye and hopped on his baby blue bicycle to make his way home.His bicycle had become his mode of getting around, since epileptic seizures ended his driving about a year ago.But a couple of blocks from his Margate condo, Oris' journey took a fatal turn. At 6:06 p.m. on Friday while crossing Northwest 31st Street, Oris was struck by a vehicle heading north in the right lane on State Road 7.Margate police said Oris was crossing against the traffic signal from west to east, and failed to yield to a 2004 Saturn driven by Stacie Silberstein.The left front of the Saturn struck the right side of Oris' bicycle. He died as a result of the injuries he sustained, according to police.Family and neighbors remembered the retired engineer as a youthful senior who made time for his grandchildren and great-grandchildren and who could be seen around the neighborhood on his bicycle.They all said they were surprised to hear that Oris crossed against the light because he was always careful when riding. "He was always so cautious," said his neighbor Doreen Zappala.Cherie Alley, his granddaughter who dropped him off at the bus stop where he had parked his bike, said her grandfather didn't usually cross at the intersection where he was struck."He came to my house almost everyday," said Alley, of Pompano Beach. "He would push my girls on their swings for hours. He was basically their playmate."Oris moved to South Florida in 1962 and lived in Margate since the early '70s. He started as a tool and dye maker at IBM and climbed his way up the ranks to staff engineer, before retiring in 1988 after 47 years with the company.Marion, Oris' wife of 59 years, died in 2001 and shortly after he moved into Coral Gate Condominiums. His days were usually shared with his seven grandchildren and despite his age, he was very independent, Alley said."He used to ride 14 miles a day," said Alley.A viewing for Oris will be held on Monday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Jennings Funeral Home, 1801 E. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. His funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. at Grace Baptist Church, 501 N.E. 48th St., Pompano Beach, where he was an active member.