THE DAYTONA BEACH NEWS-JOURNAL
Daytona Beach, Florida
Wednesday, December 31, 2014


Gilbert ("Gil") Botvin, Sr., aged 92, died peacefully on November 16, 2014. Gil was a veteran of World War II, a successful businessman, community leader, private pilot, husband and father. He was born December 9, 1921 in Trenton, NJ, the son of the late Peter Botvin and Emma Millard.

He grew up in Trenton, NJ and attended Trenton High School, where he played tenor saxophone in the band. After graduation, he joined the US Marine Corps and saw combat during World War II with the Marine's 1st Division on New Britain, Peleliu and Okinawa.

He met his future wife and love of his life, Dorothy ("Dot") Kearney through mutual friends at the end of World War II, while still serving as a Marine. Gil and Dot married on January 11, 1947, lived briefly in Trenton, NJ and then moved to a house they built on nights and weekends in Yardville, NJ. There they raised two sons and were active in St. Vincent DePaul's Catholic Church. Gil started his business career at the American Bridge Company and later founded Mercer Iron Works, Inc., an iron and steel fabricating firm in Robbinsville, NJ, where he served as president and CEO until his retirement. Under his leadership, Mercer Iron Works fabricated the structural steel for numerous buildings throughout the northeast and as far away as Aruba. Gil also was committed to community service.

He was a founding member and president of the Yardville First Aid Squad, served as president of the local chapter of Rotary International in Hamilton Township, and won the Paul Harris award for outstanding community service, the Rotary's highest award.

For the past 28 years, Gil lived in Palm Coast, FL, with his wife of 66 years, until her death in May 2013. He was friendly, bright, self-reliant, resourceful, driven to succeed, highly ethical in his business and personal life, humorous, patriotic, generous, and loyal. Most of all, he was a loving husband and father. He enjoyed flying, dancing, swimming, boating, and fishing. He had an abiding affection for dogs, especially Sparky, Melissa, and Bridgette. Later in life, he developed a fondness for good food, neighborhood walks, relaxing with family and friends, and watching ducks, geese, and blue herons.

He is survived by his two sons, Gilbert J. Botvin, Jr. (Lisa), Scarsdale, NY, and Gerald L. Botvin (Karen), Arlington, TN; and four grandchildren, James, Kathryn, and Caroline, Scarsdale, NY, and Michael Nepi, Bartlett, TN. All will miss him dearly.

Funeral services will be held on Monday January 5, 2015 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on 4600 Belle Terre Parkway in Palm Coast, FL. Visitation will take place in the Memorial Room at 10 am with a Requiem Mass at 11am, followed by an Inurnment Service.

Donations in his memory may be made to the American Heart Association at P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692 or via the AHA website (www.heart.org/donate).