Robert A. Cote

Robert A. "Bob" Cote, 79, of Sanford, died on Friday, October 23, 2015 at Maine Medical Center in Portland.Bob was born in Sanford on August 13, 1936 to Alphonse and Jeannette (Prince) Cote. He suffered numerous health problems when he was young which prevented him from attending school for several years. He was eventually able to return to school, becoming class president and the oldest student to ever graduate from St. Ignatius High School in 1957 at the age of 21. After graduation he attended broadcasting school at the United Broadcasting Company of New York for two years studying the television broadcast industry. Following school he went to work for Channel 9, WMUR in Manchester. For several years while working there he was the camera man for a weekly dance program and was known as "Bebopin' Bob the Cool Cat Cote." In 1968 he married Estelle Martineau and together they shared forty-seven years of marriage and raised three daughters. Because of declining health Bob left WMUR after 26 years of employment and began working with his brothers at Sanford Flooring where he stayed for 26 years until his retirement.Bob had a great sense of humor and loved to make the people around him laugh. He was a gentle soul and a charitable man who enjoyed helping those less fortunate than himself. He was a devout Catholic and had been a communicant of St. Therse of Lisieux Parish in Sanford where he also served as an usher. He also enjoyed collecting coins and assembling jig-saw puzzles. Bob was a man who was small in stature but possessed a personality that was larger than life. He will be remembered as a loving and devoted husband, father grandfather, son-in-law, brother, uncle and friend and will be dearly missed.Bob was predeceased by his parents and by two brothers, George and Donald.Surviving are his wife, Estelle Cote of Sanford; three daughters, Shelby Tarbox and her husband Scott of Sanford, Kelly Clark and her husband David of Wells and Christy Legere and her partner James Angers of Sanford; six grandchildren, Kendra, Jonathan, Noah, Emerson, Daniel and Molly; his mother-in-law, Jeannette Normandeau and 11 siblings, Andre, Rene, Pauline Shaw, Roland, Rachelle Howard, Raymond, Helena Ferland, Roger, Ernest, Maurice, Gloria Clayton and many nieces and nephews.A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Tuesday, October 27th at St. Therse of Lisieux Parish, Holy Family Church, located on North Avenue in Sanford. Interment will follow at St. Ignatius Cemetery.In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy are asked to please vote for the republican candidate for president in Bob's memory.Arrangements are under the direction of Black Funeral Homes and Cremation Service, Sanford-Springvale.To leave a message of condolence for the family please click on the condolences tab to the left.