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Alzheimer's Patient Goes Missing In Pasco

Don Pandel, right, was last seen at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Gulf Highlands subdivision, at 11521 Meredith Lane, Port Richey. This photo shows Pandel with his granddaughter.

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By ANNETTE MARDIS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 19, 2008

PORT RICHEY - Donald Pandel's Army boots hit the charred ground as one of the first Allied photographers to capture images of Hiroshima, Japan after an atom bomb obliterated life as they knew it there in 1945.

The native New Yorker went on to work as assistant to a developer, his son-in-law said Monday, and of late lives with his older sister at 11521 Meredith Lane in Gulf Highlands.

At 10 a.m. Sunday, Pandel drove off in his white, five-door 2002 Ford Focus (Florida tag No. H182TF) after telling her he was headed to breakfast and would be right back.

The 80-year-old, who has Alzheimer's disease, had not returned by late Monday afternoon.

"At this point, we think he just wasn't able to find his way home," said his son-in-law, Ken Wilbur, of New Port Richey. "… We're extremely concerned. … We have all our church connections praying."

Pasco sheriff's deputies started searching after Helene Pandelakis, 83, reported her brother missing about 8 p.m. Sunday.

Wilbur and wife Maria got the news around midnight and began looking, too.

"Right now we've notified everyone we can," he said. "My wife is on her way out to make some fliers."

Pandel, who shortened his surname years ago, is 5 feet 8 inches tall, weighs 122 pounds and is balding with salt-and-pepper hair and hazel eyes.

He wore a light-colored, long sleeve shirt, dark pants and white shoes. And he usually has on "large, outdated, square-shaped" glasses and a black fanny pack, Wilbur said.

"He's an independent sort and he's fought any attempt to try to limit his ability to do things like this," said Wilbur, adding his father-in-law has not stayed in contact.

Pandel's disappearance comes at an already sad time for his daughter; her mother died about a month ago in New York.

Anyone with information is asked to call the sheriff's office at (727) 844-7732.

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