RUMFORD — Robert Joseph Gotto, 81, of 146 Swett Ave., Mexico, passed away peacefully on Sunday, Dec. 26, at Rumford Hospital with his loving wife by his side.

He was born on May 16, 1929, in Newark, N.J., the son of Katherine Gotto Thomas and attended local schools in Rumford and graduated from Nantucket High School, Nantucket Island, Mass., in 1948.

He worked for First National and Jones Boatyard on Nantucket Island during high school. He came to Mexico in 1951 and worked in what is now Mead Westvaco Paper Co. in Rumford for 40 years, retiring in 1991 as an instrumentation technician in the E&I Department.

Bob was a communicant of Parish of the Holy Savior. He was a member of the Eagles Club and the Sons of Italy in Rumford, and was most recently a member of the Webb River Valley Sportsman’s Club in Dixfield. He was an avid outdoorsman and loved hunting and fishing and just being out in the weather. He especially loved working on the Circle G Ranch in Roxbury. Bob was an avid motorcycle enthusiast and traveled with his wife, Pauline on their Honda Gold Wing throughout all 50 states and Canada.

He was married in Rumford on Aug. 16, 1952, to the former Pauline B. Sinclair who survives. Also surviving is a son, Michael F. Gotto and his wife, Evelyn, of Turner; a daughter, Katherine L. Gotto of Augusta; three grandchildren, Jennifer Chase and her husband, Matthew, of Auburn, Bonnie Jurczak and her husband, Michael, of Auburn and Jeremiah E. Therkelsen of Savannah, Ga.; four great-grandchildren, Ashley and Damian Therkelsen of Des Moines, Iowa, and Ethan Jurczak and Grady Chase, both of Auburn; a brother, Ralph F. Gotto and his wife, Ellen, of Hacienda Heights, Calif.; four nieces, Kim Pergola and her husband, Luigi, Valerie Wilson and her husband, Matthew, Laura Patterson and her husband, Michael and Toni Yanes, all of California; and several great-nieces and nephews of California.

He was predeceased by his mother and brother, Jack Thomas of California.

You are invited to share your, thoughts, condolences, and fond memories with the family by visiting their guestbook at www.SGThibaultFuneralHome.com.