Photo courtesy of Douglass Edgerley & Bessom Funeral Home
Reading, Massachusetts
Aug 6, 1953 – Jan 2, 2025
Robert “Gary” Noble of Wakefield passed away January 2, 2025, surrounded by family after a long courageous battle with Frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Gary was born in Beverly, Massachusetts on August 6, 1953. He was the son of the late Robert and Shirley Noble.
He is survived by his loving sister, Marilyn Fowler, and her husband, William of Reading and his cherished niece, Alison Contarino and her husband Anthony of Wilmington, and his beloved nephew, Nathaniel Fowler and his wife Alissa of Rowayton, Connecticut. Gary was also the loving great uncle of Olivia and Anthony Jr (AJ) Contarino, and Grayson and Winter Fowler. He is also survived by his close friends, Perry and Angela Christopoulos, Pat Golini and Rick Norton.
Gary graduated from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Phoenix, Arizona with a degree in Aeronautical Science. After graduating, he flew commercial airlines for Vermont Airlines, Coral Air in Saint Croix U.S. Virgin Islands, Empire Airlines, Piedmont Airlines, US Air and eventually retired as a Captain from American Airlines.
Gary particularly enjoyed flying commercial 737 airplanes and was one of the very few pilots worldwide who had logged over 20,000 hours of flying time on the 737. A highlight of his career was the time he spent instructing and training Navy pilots participating in the Navy Blue Angels flight program.
Gary had a passion for all things mechanical and enjoyed owning and riding Harley Davidson motorcycles. He also had a passion for sports cars, and owned many over the years, including Corvettes and Camaros. Gary spent many years living in Jacksonville, Florida on his cabin cruiser. He also enjoyed many years of living in Orange Park, Florida in a beautiful home he designed and had custom built for himself.
Funeral and internment at Beechbrook Cemetery in Gloucester, MA will be private, and there will be no visiting hours.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Gary’s memory to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration: www.theaftd.org
AFTD
2700 Horizon Drive, Suite 120
King of Prussia, PA 19406
I miss our weekly conversation. Sharing laughs of years gone bye. Stories that only you would remember. Great guy but more so a great friend. You are missed.
Jim Walsh
July 31, 2025 | Friend
Rest in Peace my good friend ! Lots of laughs over the years.
Nancy Louzan
January 22, 2025 | Grovelans, MA | Friend
Great guy, fond memories of our road-trip to Florida 1971! A true perfectionist! RIP
Larry Green
January 08, 2025 | Fort Meyers, FL | Friend
Gary was a great guy. Many fond memories of hanging out together after high school. I remember when he bought his first Harley. When I went over his house he had taken it all apart to rack out the front end. Working together at the Montrose Shell station , we had a lot of laughs . RIP my friend! You touched a lot of people´s lives with your time on this earth. My condolences to your family
Richard McNulty
January 08, 2025 | Friend
I flew several trips with Gary out of Logan about 25 years ago. What a gentleman and great pilot! I remember how he would, without fail, help the flight attendants with their luggage. I have fond memories of those trips.
J Leo Richardson
January 07, 2025 | Wilmington, DE | Coworker
Marilyn, I´m extremely sorry for your loss. I will cherish the memories together at Long Beach. Gary will never be forgotten. I´ll miss him.
Charlie Leahy
January 06, 2025 | Friend
Gary was a great guy, always friendly.
Robert Thibodeau
January 06, 2025 | Wakefield, MA | Friend
My sincere condolences to Garys family . He was such a great guy to be around he would always make me laugh. I learned a lot from him he was such a perfectionist in everything he did. RIP my friend .
JIm Toothaker
January 06, 2025
Group of 10 Memorial Trees
Jim Toothaker
January 05, 2025 | North Reading, MA
