Robert Gott

For a more detailed retrospective on Robert Gott’s very full life you can visit https://www.forevermissed.com/robert-walter-gott/gallery/photos

“Soul is who and what you truly are, and as Soul you are eternal.”

On June 18, 2023, after a protracted period of illness, Robert Walter Gott translated peacefully at home with loved ones nearby. Robert was born in Milwaukee, WI, on January 29, 1947. As an Air Force brat, he spent most of his growing up years in Roswell, New Mexico. But he had a very formative five year stay in Taiwan where his dad, a Senior Master Sargent, was stationed during the Cold War.He joined the Navy out of high school. After discharge, he spent five years in Germany where he played drums with a rock-n-roll group called Care. During that time, he married a German citizen, and while that marriage did not last, it had the happy outcome that he became father to his only son, Robert Edward Gott, in 1971.He returned to Roswell in 1974 and became part of the initial class of the nascent Water Technology program at NMSU (DABCC). He met Nancy O’Neall on the bandstand of the Organ Mountain Lodge in Las Cruces, NM, when she sat in for a couple of tunes in January 1976.  They married on June 12, 1977, at sunrise.Bob worked in the Water/Wastewater field for over 40 years. He started as an operator in Grants in ’77 and then became the Public Works Director for Taos Ski Valley in ’79.  In 1983, Bob and Nancy moved to Santa Fe, NM, where he became the Field Trainer and later the Coordinator for the Water Utilities Technical Assistance Program. He was an excellent problem solver and a powerful educator who made a positive, lasting impact on the industry.  He formally retired in 2009 but continued as a consultant until 2020.Bob was happily reintroduced to his son Robert when he immigrated with his young family in 2006. That reunion brought immense joy to his life.Bob loved music, especially live music and straight-ahead jazz. He played drums and bass with Body and Soul, which existed sometimes as a trio, sometimes as a quartet, and even sometimes as a quintet, but always with his wife Nancy on vocals and frequently with other family members. He was a true aficionado from jazz to funk to rock-n-roll. Traveling with Nancy to jazz festivals and live concerts, where they had the privilege of getting to know other musicians and devotees, brought a real thrill to his life.  No story of Bob’s life is complete without mention of Eckankar, the Path of Spiritual Freedom. Bob and Nancy started on this path together immediately after meeting. They were married by an ECK cleric, and Bob’s memorial will be led by an ECK cleric. Bob and Nancy devoted themselves to their deeply nourishing spiritual practices, and in turn they have been supported with much love and wisdom by the ECK community in Santa Fe.  Robert Gott was a good man who was beloved by many. Bob was genuinely friendly to others and sincerely interested in their lives. He was fun to be around with a good sense of humor, and he loved a good party.  Bob was very kind and caring, and he will be remembered with love and affection. He is survived by Nancy, his wife of 46 years; his son Robert; and his grandchildren Jonah and Trinity. Celebration of Life

A memorial Celebration of Life for Robert W. Gott will be held on Wednesday, August 16th at 1 pm.  The early afternoon ECK Memorial Service will be held at the Kiva Chapel of the Rivera Family Memorial Gardens, 417 East Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, New Mexico.  A reception will follow.

In lieu of flowers, Nancy suggests a donation be made in Bob's name to the Vail Jazz Workshop https://vailjazz.org/education/vj-workshop/.  [Be sure to navigate down to the "Other" category.]  Along with The Jazz Cruise, The Vail Jazz Party was a big part of Bob & Nancy's life for many years. They made wonderful friends at these jazz festivals and relished hundreds of hours of live, straight-ahead jazz.

https://www.forevermissed.com/robert-walter-gott/gallery/photos