Robert “Bob” Gorrill, 86, of Damariscotta, passed away on the morning of May 6, 2023 at LincolnHealth’s Miles Campus in Damariscotta. Born in Boston, Mass., on Feb. 25, 1937, he was the son of Robert and Bessie Gorrill.
Born of Canadian parents, he spent most of his childhood in the Boston area. After the death of his mother when he was nine years old, he spent most of his summers with his relatives in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. These memories lasted throughout his entire life, and he regaled friends and family with stories of those experiences.
In 1958 he married Valerie Bowstead, and together they would raise two boys in Squantum, Mass., where he was very committed to the community. He actively volunteered refereeing church youth league basketball, was a Cub Scout pack leader, and sang in church choirs.
For many years, he was a member of the Photographic Society of America. He attended many national conventions, where he gave presentations and received many accolades for his photographic techniques. As the Photographic Society of America entered the computer age, Bob became one of the first webmasters for the society. In 2018, he received a service award from the society for his exceptional service.
Close to home, he was a member of the South Shore Camera Club and was president for three years. Bob had an excellent reputation for his presentations, and as a judge at competitions, both locally and internationally. As an early member of the Boston Computer Society, Bob ran the bulletin board service, on two 256 MB servers, answering questions for hours over the telephone modem in the back room of the house.
His photos were shown in many venues throughout the Boston and Midcoast Maine areas. He also published a book of his Maine photographs titled, “Mainly Maine.”
With his family he enjoyed adventures in his beloved VW camper, exploring New England and the Canadian Maritimes. He also traveled by train with Valerie through the Canadian Rockies from Toronto to Vancouver.
Arriving in Damariscotta, he became very involved at St. Andrew’s Church in Newcastle. A devout Episcopalian, he loved the church. He photographed church events and edited the church newsletter. He also volunteered for Senior Spectrum, teaching digital photography and computer skills.
He is survived by his loving wife of 65 years, Valerie; son, David and wife, Christine; son, Stephen and wife, Louisa; grandchildren, Lucey, Elizabeth, Robert, and Alexandra; and numerous nephews and nieces.
A memorial service for Bob will be held at 2 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Newcastle. In lieu of flowers, donations in Bob’s memory may be made to the Visually Impaired People (VIP) Support Group, c/o Wells Moore, P.O. Box 272, Southport, ME 04576.
Arrangements are under the direction and care of the Strong-Hancock Funeral Home at 612 Main St., Damariscotta, ME 04543. Condolences, and messages for his family, may be expressed by visiting stronghancock.com.
