Robert W. “Bob” Horgan was born in Boston, Massachusetts on Sept. 18, 1943, to Doris P. Horgan and Leo J. Horgan. He died on July 29, 2024, at Miles Memorial Hospital in Damariscotta, Maine.

Bob grew up with siblings Leo (decd.) (sp. Betsy Horgan), Susan (sp. Tom Wilson decd.), and David (Bonnie Horgan). At age 4, the family moved from Winchester to Roslindale where Bob attended Longfellow Elementary and Boston Latin School. In 1959 the family moved to Wellesley, where Bob graduated from Wellesley High School in 1961.

After one year at Boston College and while reading Steinbeck’s “Travels with Charley: In Search of America,” Bob bought an old VW bus, adopted a beagle puppy, and took a year off to see the contiguous 48 states.

On his return, he enrolled at Babson College, where he excelled academically, was editor-in-chief of The Executive, the college newspaper, and became a Fuller Brush salesman. He took the mantle of the legendary Fuller Brush Man seriously, and he set records for sales volume while honing his sense of marketing through door-to-door sales. After recording a sale, he hired high schoolers to deliver the products, which afforded him twice the time to sell.

He spent summers working at the Landfall Restaurant in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and after a stint as a dishwasher and pot-washer, he was promoted first to bartender and eventually, to head bartender. His time at the Landfall convinced him to set his sights on a career in the hospitality industry and led him to leave Babson for the Nolan School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

He moved to Ithaca, New York to attend Cornell with his first wife, Nan (Denton) Horgan, who he met during his summers in Woods Hole. They had their first child, David (sp. Christine), while living in Ithaca.

After graduating from Cornell, he became assistant manager of the Jupiter Island Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, and after one season, was hired to manage the Ausable Club in St. Huberts, New York, a hotel and 40,000-acre mountain reserve. From there, Bob moved his family, which now included a daughter, Wendy (sp. Jeff Smith), to New Hampshire, where he managed the Bald Peak Colony Club on Lake Winnipesaukee. After managing independent hotels and resorts, he was hired by J. Willard Marriott. He spent his tenure at Marriott running hotels across Massachusetts: first the Key Bridge, then the Newton, and finally, the Boston Marriott Long Wharf, which he helped open in 1982.

Foreseeing the automation of core functions in hotels, Bob combined his entrepreneurial skills and hotel experience to launch Newmarket International out of his garage in Durham, New Hampshire in the mid-80’s. Newmarket was built on Bob’s philosophy that if he surrounded himself with great people and provided ample leadership, those people would unlock their natural potential, and that philosophy quickly bore fruit. Newmarket grew exponentially, becoming the global leader in sales and catering automation and one of the most successful companies ever in hotel automation.

Bob met his second wife, Patricia (Darcy) Horgan, during the whirlwind of Newmarket’s growth, and they had two children, Guy (decd.) and Molly. He was inducted into the International Hospitality Hall of Fame in 1990, and Newmarket employees still talk about the wonderfully balanced culture he created at the company. He retired in 1999 and launched the next phase of his life.

Shortly thereafter, while on a weekend trip in Maine, Bob saw a real estate ad in Downeast Magazine for Indiantown Island. He purchased the island, hired an architect, and with his future wife, Kate (Darché) Horgan, designed a house that was completely off the grid. Thirty-two barges later, the house and guest house were completed, thus launching a love affair with Maine and fine homebuilding that would last the rest of his life. Bob and Kate went on to purchase and renovate three more homes (Hunting Island, Twin Coves, and Summerhaven) in the Boothbay area. Each represented a different time and phase in their life, and each allowed Bob to immerse himself in the challenge and process of creating a home for his ever-expanding family, which grew to include Kate’s children Lilly (sp. Haynes Johnston), Sam (sp. Lisa Darche), and Chloe (sp. Bobby Maggs) and a growing list of grandchildren: Ivy, Lila, Reed, Sara, Birdie, Scarlett, August, and Mars.

Bob died surrounded by love with his wife, Kate; sister-in-law, Susan Long; daughter, Lilly, and son-in-law, Haynes, at his side. Bob is survived by a host of loving family members and friends.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the Boothbay Region Land Trust in memory of Bob.

Arrangements are under the care of Hall Funeral Home and Cremation Services. To offer online condolences, visit Bob’s Book of Memories at www.hallfuneralhomes.com.