Robert Hanford Ingersoll, of Chestertown, Maryland, passed away peacefully at his home on April 29.
Bob was born on June 13, 1947, to Daniel Winthrop Ingersoll and Clare “Pat” Stevens Ingersoll. His childhood was spent on Silver Hill Farm in Quaker Neck, where he learned a great deal about nature, farming and mechanics from his parents.
After graduating from Chestertown High School in 1965, Bob attended the University of Virginia and then transferred to the University of Maryland, where he studied until June of 1967. He then surprised his parents by signing up to join the U.S. Navy. This decision turned out to be pivotal in Bob’s life. After training to become an aviation machinist’s mate, Bob was stationed in Brunswick with Naval Patrol Squadron Ten.
Bob married Maine resident Gladys Mobbs in 1969, and in 1970, his daughter Erica was born. In 1973, Bob returned to Brunswick and finished his pursuit of a political science degree, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Southern Maine. He also joined the Navy Reserve unit at the Naval Air Station in Brunswick and began his career as a lobster fisherman by purchasing a boat with a close friend from the Navy. He found the work to be exciting and it put him on the ocean that he loved. Bob then turned to carpentry for the next phase of his career.
Bob and Gayle (nee Miller) Betts were married on July 14, 1982. Gayle had a daughter, Danielle, and a son, Jason. Bob then began sailboat chartering during the warmer months. Eventually, sailing resulted in the creation of the Long Reach Charter Co., owned and operated with Gayle. Long Reach Charter would charter sailboats in Maine in the summers. Gayle and Bob were fortunate to spend many months sailing together to many exciting and memorable locations.
In Bob’s spare time, he volunteered, helping to improve the Harpswell community. He was an emergency medical technician and firefighter on the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department. His volunteer efforts were immense. He offered his contracting talents, free of any fees, to help important community projects, such as the Trufant-Summerton Athletic Field. Privately, he would help any individual who had a problem that he could solve. His mechanical knowledge and diagnostic skills were incredible to behold, and his energy was infectious to all those around him.
Bob is survived by his wife, Gayle, and her children, Danielle Felts (Cory), their children, Lily, Boone, and Darby, and Jason Betts; his daughter, Erica Ingersoll, and her children, Kirk Arnold and Lyndsay Arnold; his three brothers, Daniel Ingersoll Jr. (Kate), William Ingersoll (Susan), and Jared Ingersoll (Elizabeth King); and many cherished nieces, nephews and cousins.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Orr’s and Bailey Islands Fire Department.
