In the bright summer morning of July 2013, Bob Horne pushed down on his bike pedals and crossed the starting line in his first-ever ride to raise money for cancer research.
Bob, then 61-years-old, embarked on a ride that would last 100-miles: starting in the college town of Hanover, New Hampshire along the Connecticut River, winding into Vermont, before returning south to Hanover.
As he hit the final stretch, he recalled seeing the finish line at the top of a steep hill, where he could hear a live band and see his wife, Julie.
“That was the icing on the cake, as I was able to cross the finish line with her and celebrate our victorious ride together,” he said in an autobiography about his life.
He would go on to repeat the route in the annual Prouty fundraiser nine times, raising thousands of dollars over the years.
Bob, an avid bike rider, devoted husband, and caring father, passed away on July 3rd alongside his family in the hospice house in Merrimack, New Hampshire. He was 70 years old.
Born on July 11, 1953, Bob grew up in Gorham, Maine, as an only child to parents Ernest and Beryl Horne. He then moved to Hampton, and graduated from Winnacunnet High School.
As a child, Bob spent time with his grandparents in Boston, and attended baseball games at the storied Fenway Park. Those early-year games sparked Bob’s love for baseball, a pastime that would become a core part of his life.
Bob attended Boston College, where he earned a degree in Political Science. He later met Beth Fitzpatrick at Valle’s Steak House in Portland, Maine, where he was a line cook and she was a waitress. The two married in 1979, and eventually moved to Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was there that they raised their children, Will and Ada, before separating in 2001.
Bob excelled at his job as a salesman, and worked in the paper industry for more than 30 years. He forged strong bonds with his customers, sometimes taking them out to baseball games or concerts.
What Bob loved most in life was spending time with his two children: hiking and catching tadpoles in the Berkshires, watching Shakespeare plays, and listening to music at Tanglewood.
Much to Bob’s delight, Will at the age of 5 took to playing t-ball and their backyard transformed into a mini-baseball field. Afternoons were filled with games of catch and wiffle ball with other boys from the neighborhood.
Just a short walk away from Bob’s backyard was what became his home away from home: the Pioneer League. Bob coached Will in Little League baseball, and cheered on Ada in softball, before eventually taking on a role in a much bigger way, as President of the League.
What Bob loved about the Pioneer League was that it wasn’t your typical Little League setup. The founders of the Pioneer League believed that baseball is about the love of the game and having fun, not focused on just making it to big tournaments.
As the Pioneer League president, Bob cleaned up the fields and improved the culture, even convincing a local pizza owner to sell fresh slices at the snack shack. Most importantly, Bob overhauled the old rulebook and made sure that all coaches were allocating play time more evenly for all kids.
“This was always my philosophy in coaching,” Bob said in his autobiography. “Every kid that can swing a bat deserves a turn at the plate!”
Outside of being a Red Sox season ticket holder and seeing the team win the World Series at Fenway, Bob’s finest baseball achievements was managing Will’s Senior Babe Ruth team. He turned a fledgling group of high schoolers into a strong team that ultimately made it to the finals in their final year.
In the early 2000s, Bob met Julie Lavoie at a rock concert in Lowell. The two were set up by a mutual friend, and instantly connected. Julie was Bob’s rock, and best friend. They married in 2006 in Hale Memorial Park in Newburyport, and settled in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where Bob lived until his passing.
Bob and Julie honeymooned in Prince Edward Island where they bonded over their love of cycling through a weeklong bike tour. Julie also introduced Bob to the Prouty fundraiser, which transformed him into a long distance cycler.
Bob was proud of his diverse musical tastes, spanning from Pink Floyd, to John Coltrane, to Beethoven, and everything in between. He owned more than 1,000 CDs and vinyl records.
He also adored cats, and had 8 throughout his life. But Bob’s favorite was Bo, a chunky black cat who never left his side.
Bob will be remembered for smarts, his sense of humor, and his caring nature. He made sure to end every conversation with his children by saying “I love you.”
Bob is survived by his wife, Julie, his daughter Ada, his son, Will, and his daughter-in-law, Katherine. In Bob’s memory, his family asks that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association and the Community Hospice House in Merrimack, New Hampshire.