Roger H Bott

A good man died in Manahawkin, New Jersey on Tuesday, February 25, 2025. Roger Henry Bott, 82, died at home of natural causes. He passed away peacefully while sitting in his favorite chair, and with his wife of 59 years by his side.

Roger was born in Union, New Jersey on July 6, 1942 to Henry Bott and Margaret Bott (née Connelly). He was the oldest of their three children. When he was 11, the family moved to Rutherford, where he attended St. Mary’s Catholic High School. As a boy, Roger loved doo-wop and early rock n’ roll music, literature, and poetry. Summertime eventually found Roger hopping in his friends’ cars and taking Route 9 South to Long Beach Island. In 1959, Roger was a 17-year-old lifeguard in Barnegat Light when he first laid eyes on Gail Evans. His fellow lifeguard, noting that she was the only girl on the beach with a transistor radio, dared Roger to talk with her so they could get the music closer to their post.

Thus began a lifelong love affair. The couple courted while Roger served 3 years in the United State Marine Corps, and they were married on July 17, 1965.

In his 20s, Roger was a repo man for a bank, delivered bread for a bakery, and worked in a pickle factory — among several other random jobs — before ultimately joining his father in the family trade so that he could support a family. Roger became a master welder and was a proud member of Boilermakers Union Local #28 out of Bayonne from 1971 until he retired from heavy construction in 1995. In 1974, Roger and Gail moved to the Beach Haven West neighborhood of Manahawkin with their two toddlers. The ‘70s were about early parenting, crab and clam cookouts overlooking the lagoon, boat rides in Barnegat Bay, and living room disco parties! When their third son arrived in 1979, they built their dreamhouse and moved to Mermaid Drive in Ocean Acres, where they’ve lived ever since.

Roger was the proud father of Chris, Kevin, and Ryan. Much of his life revolved around his family, and in the 1980s and ‘90s he loved nothing more than sitting in his chair while the chaos and drama of his teenagers’ lives and the lives of their friends swirled around him. Later, he often expressed how grateful he was to always have a holiday table, or a birthday celebration, or his backyard swimming pool filled with the warmth and laughter of his grown sons, their wives (whom he adored), and his 6 grandchildren. He often called himself the luckiest guy in the world.

Roger was a member of St. Francis Roman Catholic Church on Long Beach Island from the time he and Gail moved to Manahawkin in 1974. He was a Eucharistic minister within the church, a Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) teacher, a writer for the church newsletter, and a member of the choir.

Roger also considered himself a lifelong Kennedy Democrat. His religion, his politics, and his blue-collar values shaped his life and his parenting. He taught his children to work hard, to be grateful, to show love and kindness to all, and to do everything possible to uplift those who are suffering or less fortunate.

Roger will be remembered for his warm laugh, his quick wit, and for choking up with tears whenever he spoke from the heart — a trait he passed on to all of his sons. More than anything, he will be remembered for the enduring love and admiration he had for his family, and especially for his wife, whom he cherished until his last breath.

Roger is survived by his wife, Gail; their sons, Chris and his wife, Jennifer, of Ship Bottom, NJ, Kevin and his wife Aimée Brill of Lambertville, NJ, and Ryan and his wife, Katharine Travaline of Stratford, NJ; their grandchildren, Nathaniel, Mackenzie, Valor, Lev, Vera-Star, and Melvin; and his brother, Dennis. He is predeceased by his sister, Catherine “Cath” Trangone.

A viewing will be held on Sunday, March 2 from 2pm-5pm at Maxwell’s Funeral Home in Little Egg Harbor, NJ. The Funeral Mass will begin at 11am on Monday, March 3, at St. Francis of Assisi Roman Catholic Church in Brant Beach, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, Roger’s family kindly asks that donations be made to the St. Francis Parish food pantry. Donations can be made by paying online at https://www.stfranciscenterlbi.org/donate and adding a note indicating “Roger Bott” or “Pantry.” Or by sending a check to:

St. Francis Center / LBICC, Inc. 4700 Long Beach Blvd. Long Beach Township, NJ 08008