Richard "Bear" Gath of Merrimack, NH passed away suddenly on July 16, 2025 at the age of 76.
Richard was born the third of three boys to Virgil and Mildred (Myers) Gath on February 10, 1949. Throughout his life, he fondly reminisced about the friendships, adventures, and mischief of his childhood in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Growing up on Folly Farm in Belle Vernon, PA, he developed an early and enduring love for the outdoors—fishing, trapping, hunting, and exploring the woods with a curious spirit. His affection for nature extended to animals, especially hunting dogs, and he even kept a raccoon as a pet for a spell during his youth.
Originally known to his friends and family as "Dick," Richard attended Electronic Institutes in Pittsburgh, PA, before being recruited by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). At just 21, he relocated to Massachusetts to begin a 30-year career with DEC/Quantum. Shortly after his move, his roommates affectionately dubbed him "Bear," a nickname inspired by his then legendary snoring.
As an electronic technician, Richard contributed to new product development and took on multiple assignments in Colorado Springs, CO, where he played a hands-on role in moving a few of the products into production. After a series of division sales and lay-offs, Richard spent his final working years as the backroom coordinator for the North Nashua Marshalls, retiring in 2015.
It was during his early days at DEC that Richard met his wife, Naomi (DeCillis), who insisted on using his given name instead of his nicknames. Their relationship blossomed over cribbage games in the breakroom and they married in Westfield, MA, in 1972. They often marveled at how swiftly the years flew by, eventually sharing just shy of 53 years together. Richard and Naomi welcomed their son, Michael, prior to settling in Merrimack, NH, in 1978. Their daughter, Valerie, joined the family soon after.
Richard's appreciation for nature remained a constant throughout his life. In recent years, he found peace sitting in the sun, watching birds, and, brainwashed into becoming a Cat Person by his wife, spending time with his feline friends. When it came to seafood, he didn’t just eat it, he devoured it with gusto. He reluctantly parted ways with his beloved Pittsburgh teams after relocating to New England and embraced the local sports scene, building a particular passion for the Boston Red Sox. He had a deep fascination with Alaska, often losing himself in programs that showcased its untamed wilderness and the people drawn there. He developed a compulsion to watch Jaws and Jurassic Park whenever they aired. And through it all, his dry wit, sharpened by the signature Gath brand of sarcasm, was unmistakable and masterfully deployed.
Approaching his hobbies with singular focus and unwavering dedication—whether he was tuning into ham radio frequencies, honing his bowling skills, heading into the woods to hunt, competing in dog trials with his English Springer Spaniels, or, most passionately, perfecting his swing in skeet shooting—Richard always gave it all he had. He discovered competitive skeet in the mid-1980s and went on to have a prolific shooting career, registering an astounding 256,437 lifetime targets between 1986 and 2022. He traveled to countless competitions across the northeast, as well as to Quebec, Maryland, and Virginia—for many years with his daughter as his squadmate. He attended 28 World Skeet Championships, making 25 consecutive appearances. Richard achieved numerous perfect 100s in all four of the singles events, posting the elusive 100 in the .410 at the 1993 World Shoot. For years, he was recognized by his distinctive call and his playfully vibrant shorts—the fabric for each pair joyfully selected by his wife and daughter as a lighthearted test to see if there was any pattern he’d refuse to wear.
A tireless advocate for the sport, Richard served in leadership roles at the club level (Horseshoe Fish & Game Club), state level (NHSSA), and national level (as New Hampshire’s state director to the NSSA for 13 years). He refereed, mentored new shooters, and encouraged recreational participants to try registered skeet. Determined to make the sport more accessible, Richard organized small shoots at his local one-field club for two decades, frequently juggling the roles of shooter, referee, and shoot management.
He cherished the camaraderie of the skeet community, finding special joy in the easy banter and meaningful conversations shared between events. He remained a member of Horseshoe Fish & Game Club throughout his time in Merrimack and enjoyed weekly visits to the skeet field long after he retired from shooting in 2022.
Richard is survived by his wife, son, and daughter; his older brothers, Ernie and Phil; and his cat, Billy.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Horseshoe Fish & Game Club, 44 Greens Pond Road, Merrimack, NH on Saturday, October 25, 2025. For details or to RSVP, please visit this EventBrite: https://BearGathCelebrationofLife.eventbrite.com.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Richard's memory may be made to the youth shooting program or scholarship program of the National Skeet Shooting Association (https://nssa-nsca.org/) or to the American Diabetes Association (https://diabetes.org/)
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