Gilmore, Robert F.

Robert F. Gilmore

December 6, 1933 – March 23, 2015

Robert “Geef” F. Gilmore, 81, of Stonington, CT and Smyrna, DE, passed away unexpectedly, Monday, March 23, 2015.
Born in Westerly, RI, Bob was the son of the late Francis and Stella (Buba) Gilmore and lived in Stonington since 1990.
Bob was a graduate of the Stonington High School Class of 1951 and Lehigh University in 1955. Bob was a highly successful athlete in both high school and college. Bob’s efforts on the football and baseball fields, as well as the basketball court, brought him endless joy. In 2005, Bob was inducted into the Stonington High School Athletics Hall of Fame.
In 1956, Bob enlisted in the United States Air Force where he spent the next 20 years earning the rank of Major. On February 8, 1968, Bob was cited for “heroic efforts while assisting in the delivery of much needed supplies to the United States Marines at Khe Sanh, Vietnam.” Bob’s efforts in this mission resulted in his selection for the Distinguished Flying Cross. Bob retired in 1976, becoming an ROTC Instructor at Lincoln and Middletown High Schools. In addition, Bob shared his love and knowledge of baseball through coaching. The Citadel, Middletown High School, United States Coast Guard Academy, and POLYTECH High School all benefited from his service as an assistant coach.
Bob was married on November 15, 1975, in Goldsboro, NC to Dorothy Jean (Snavely) Gilmore. Sadly, she passed away on March 14, 2015, due to complications of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), more commonly known as “Lou Gehrig’s disease.”
Bob loved traveling and considered it his favorite hobby. His travels frequently took him to Europe and numerous exotic locations. Bob and his wife especially loved Hawaii, where they would spend long winter breaks lounging on the beach. Bob shared his passion for travel with his grandchildren taking them on numerous trips to Hawaii as well as Disney World.
He is survived by Bobby (son), Susan (daughter-in-law) and Christopher and Thomas Gilmore (grandsons).