Gilmanton Iron Works-----Victor Bota, 76, of 173 Burke Road, died at the Concord Hospital on Saturday, January 11, 2014.
Mr. Bota was born April 2, 1937 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of Maria Bota and was a Freedom fighter in the Hungarian Revolution. He immigrated to the United States in 1957 and was a longtime resident of Gilmanton Iron Works.
While in Hungary, he trained as a chef. He worked as a gourmet chef for the Deauville Inn in New Jersey and was the owner and operator of Vic’s Underwater World Pet Store in New Jersey and ran it for fifteen years. He also worked for the Ocean Beach Marina in New Jersey. After moving to New Hampshire, he had been employed as a school bus driver for twenty-four years , most recently for First Student of Belmont and drove for Shaker Regional School district for fifteen years. Victor also had served as Union Steward for the U.A.W. He also worked for the New Hampshire Motor Speedway as head of Corporate Security since1990 and was involved with Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Mr. Bota was a man of many talents. He loved NASCR and the Sea. He loved his family and was committed to his work, especially the safe transportation of students under his care. He was known for his wonderful sense of humor and his big heart.
Survivors include his wife of 11½ years, Jeanne (Mitchell) Bota, of Gilmanton Iron Works; a son, Victor Bota, Jr., of Las Vegas, Nevada; a daughter, Kathleen Drude and her husband, Timothy, of East Brunswick, N.J., two stepsons, Rodney Collins, Jr. and his wife, Megan, of Helena, Alabama and Matthew D. Collins of Westfield, Mass.;; three stepdaughters, Jennifer Collins of Salem, Mass., Michelle Collins of Pinson, Alabama and Joy Collins of Amherst, Mass. and four grandchildren, Kristen Ann Dore of Sayreville, N.J., Marcy Collins, Hope Collins and August Collins, all of Helena, Alabama.
Memorial calling hours will be held on Friday, January 17, 2014 from 4:00-7:00PM in the Carriage House of the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H.
A Memorial Service will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014 at 11:00AM at the Grace Presbyterian Church, 174 Province Street, Laconia, N.H.
For those who wish, the family suggests that memorial donations be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Hampshire, 814 Elm Street, Suite #300, Manchester, N.H. 03101-2230 or to the American Heart Association, 2 Wall Street, Manchester, NH 03101.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia, N.H. is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an on line memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.