Our father and friend, Robert Shaw Page, Jr., age 77, passed peacefully on May 19, 2022, following an illness. Bob was born in Nashua, NH on June 8, 1944, the oldest son of Robert S. Page, Sr. and Patricia C. (Tompkins) Page. He attended schools in Exeter. NH, spending all his free time cruising “the strip” at Hampton Beach. He was very involved with Boy Scouts, earning his Eagle Scout at age 15. He attended Plymouth State College, where he met his first wife, Dorothy F. Caldwell, with whom he had his daughters, Sue and Julie.
In 1970, the family moved to South Deerfield, when they became owners of the Hillside Nursing Home. Bob was the administrator until the facility’s closing in the mid-1990’s. Bob faced ever challenge with his classic phrase “no problem”, which became the key to his success in life. During that time, he was very involved with his daughters’ activities: coaching softball and attending their school functions and performances. He was an active member of the South Deerfield Lion’s Club. After The Hillside closed, Bob served as Administrator at area facilities, including the other family business, the Anchorage Nursing Home. When he finally retired from healthcare, Bob started his own business, “Help Around the House”.
Bob’s true passion was being outdoors whether camping, hunting, SCUBA diving or fishing. In his free time, Bob could be found launching his boat onto the Connecticut River and spending the day fishing solo or waterskiing with his girls and their friends. He could also be found underwater off Cape Ann hunting for the ever-elusive granddaddy lobster. He traveled on the pro Bassmaster Tournament circuit and, while he was not lucky enough to win a tournament, he was fortunate to turn his passion into jobs with Lowrance Electronics, Johnson outboards and even the occasional junket as “a guy with a boat” for the filming of local fishing shows. Bob, along with his cousins and extended family, started and continue a 40+-year tradition of meeting annually for a week of laughing, eating, camping, fishing, water skiing, tubing and boating.
After several years of being single, Bob found his soulmate, Pamela (Dame) Simanski. The couple married in June, 2002 and enjoyed 14 wonderful years of each other’s company traveling, dining and serving the community through Blessed Sacrament Church. The couple would often be found cooking and serving at the weekly Community Meals. Bob was also active in service to the community through his membership in the Knights of Columbus. Pam and Bob were also members of the Board of Directors for the Countryside Homeowner’s Association, Bob acting as the community’s “handyman” and “pool boy”. Pam predeceased Bob in 2016, leaving him heartbroken.
Years late, Bob met the amazing Patricia Goodell. The couple helped each other survive and thrive in the years of Covid, finding new back roads to discover each time they ventured out. In his last months, Pat and his daughters carried Bob through the ups and downs of his illness.
Bob is survived by his oldest daughter Susan (Page) Aubuchon (husband Todd), his youngest daughter Julie Page, his sweetie Pat Goodell, his step-son Jeffrey Simanski (wife Sue), his daughter-friend Emily Eash, his brother Richard Page (wife Karen), cousins Donald Johnson and Denise (Johnson) Merten (husband Butch). He leaves behind numerous friends, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews on the Page, Dame and Goodell sides, as well as many people he included as family.
For all of you who knew and will miss him, calling hours will be on Friday, June 3, 2022, from 5pm to 7pm, at Kostanski’s Funeral Home, 220 Federal Street Greenfield, MA. A Memorial Mass will be held on June 4, 2022 at 10am, at Blessed Sacrament Church, 14 Beacon St. Greenfield, MA, with interment at Green River Cemetery. A reception will immediately follow at the Holy Trinity Rectory Hall, 133 Main St Greenfield, MA.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to Franklin County Community Meals Program c/o Knights of Columbus, Greenfield Council 133, or a charity of your choosing, or you can pass on a simple act of kindness for someone as Bob may have once done for you.
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