RENSSELAERVILLE — Robert Lawrence Bolte almost always wore work clothes. A former town councilman and electrician, he was perpetually ready to help someone in need.

He died on Sunday, March 5, 2017, in the Rensselaerville home he had built with his own hands. His wife and daughter were by his side. “His last hours were very peaceful,” said his daughter, Elaine Sargent. “We are at peace because he is at peace.”

He was 73.

Mr. Bolte was born in Tomahawk, Wisconsin on Aug. 14, 1943 to the late Alma and Thomas Bolte. “He was the baby of 14 children — seven boys and seven girls,” said his wife, Karen Bolte. “He grew up in the country, on a farm just like I did. That’s one of the reasons we connected,” said Mrs. Bolte.

The couple met because of Mrs. Bolte’s older brother, Michael Bodi. Like Mr. Bolte, he served in the United States Navy; they met in the payline because their last names were so close alphabetically.

“He started writing to me,” recalled Mrs. Bolte and then her brother brought him home for a visit. “When Bob came to our house the first time, I was out baling hay. He really liked it that I was a country girl and I was out there,” she recalled. The attraction was immediate and mutual.

After that, Mr. Bolte, who was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, “came up quite often,” said Mrs. Bolte although regulations required him to stay within 100 miles of his ship, the USS Boxer. They married on June 24, 1967 in East Greenbush.

Mr. Bolte had served in the Navy from 1961 to 1966. His rank was Electrician 3rd Class.

He used his skills as an electrician to build his own business, Bob’s Electric. He also built a home for the couple, first in Westerlo and then in Rensselaerville. “Bob was always handy,” said his wife. He landscaped their property beautifully and brought in sand for the beach at their pond so Mrs. Bolte wouldn’t have to step in the mud.

After his electrical business, he went to work for Bryant’s Super Inc. in Greenville, and was employed  there from 1980 to 2005. “He started out as the maintenance and repair man and became the right-hand man to the Bryant family,” said his daughter.

“Bob was a tough guy. He said things once and that was it,” said Mrs. Bolte. “He was straightforward. He was also kind-hearted and would help people in need. We’ve been getting such wonderful cards and letters from people, thanking him,” she said. One of them was from a friend in Westerlo. Mr. Bolte had built a bathroom for his daughter that she could use with her wheelchair.

Mrs. Sargent, his only child, recalled how, when she was a little girl, she would find a little box under the Christmas tree from him each year. Inside was a piece of butterfly jewelry.

“My dad was a wonderful businessman and negotiator. He gave me a lot of skills to run my own business and work with people,” said Mrs. Sargent. “I have the sweet kindness of my mother and the directness of my father.”

She also said, “My father gave me the confidence to make my own decisions, a huge dose of common sense, and work ethic to dig into anything that needs to be done.  

“He was always such a hard worker and honestly he was not involved with many of the activities I did as a child. I do remember he taught me how to drive a tractor when I was 8 or 9. He let go of the steering wheel and said, ‘You drive.’ I cried and said, ‘I can’t.’ There was a huge cliff to the left and I was terrified we would plummet to our death. I eventually grabbed the wheel and within seconds was confidently driving the tractor!”

Mr. Bolte had many interests. “He could do anything,” said his daughter.  His long list of hobbies and accomplishments includes restoring old cars, running and fixing equipment of all sizes, building houses, and digging ponds.

He also did carpentry, plumbing, and electrical work. He dabbled in the stock market, and made a jewelry box for his wife and daughter. He once picked a large bouquet of lilacs for his wife, leaving them in the kitchen sink.

He liked watching birds and other wildlife, and playing with his dog, Lucky. He was a long-time deer and turkey hunter and he built a hockey rink and was the goalie for the team. He also obtained certification from Morrisville Community College to be a wastewater treatment operator.

Although Mr. Bolte frequently attended town board meetings and volunteered his time and talents for community projects, it wasn’t until late in life that he ran for and was elected to the Rensselaerville Town Board on the Conservative Party line. He was proud to be chairman of the Hilltown Conservative Party.

“He really did enjoy it,” said Mrs. Bolte of her husband’s time as a town councilman. “He made such a difference, getting others to run. They agreed on stuff and got things done.”

“My father was a friend to many and helped many in need,” said Mrs. Sargent. This help included driving someone to a doctor’s appointment or to get groceries, and organizing a group of people and equipment to reroute a creek from hurricane damage and save a person’s house.

Mr. Bolte was named Volunteer of the Year in 2015 by the town of Rensselaerville.

One of the projects he was proud of was single-handedly raising large sums of money, all of it donated, to buy a town bus for elderly residents to ride in. Another project dear to his heart was the Veterans Ring of Honor at the Rensselaerville Town Hall. He designed, built, and maintained the monument.

“He was a proud American,” said his wife. “He loved his country. He felt very proud to be a veteran.”

His son-in-law got him interested in Project Healing Waters, which helps veterans through fly-fishing. Mr. Bolte became involved supporting the Wounded Warriors program. He became angry, and even called the governor’s office, his wife recalled, when he ran a turkey-hunting program for wounded veterans and they were required to pay for licenses to hunt for that day.

His wife and daughter summed up Mr. Bolte this way: “He may have ruffled a lot of feathers throughout his life but he was dedicated to doing the right thing for his family, community, and country; often times not the easiest of decisions but with an authentic, genuine “Bob” approach. And with the intention of making America great again.”

“He wasn’t a touchy-feely person,” said his wife. “He loved his home. He didn’t like to travel.”

But in 2015 he enjoyed a family trip to Alaska as an early 50th wedding anniversary celebration. “We had a blast,” said Mrs. Bolte who is glad they celebrated early.

“It was the only family trip I’d been on since I was 8,” said Mrs. Sargent. “It was awesome.” Mr. Bolte enjoyed the scenery and the wildlife in Alaska, said his wife.

“He doesn’t like city stuff or highfalutin people,” she said. “I sent him away in his work clothes.”

Mr. Bolte always wore navy-colored work pants with a matching shirt. When he dressed up, his wife said, he’d put on a new pair of work pants and maybe a plaid shirt.

He was generous to the end. Mr. Bolte donated his body to the Anatomical Gift program.

“He wanted his ashes spread on his property — we have a nice piece of forest — under his favorite deer stand,” said Mrs. Bolte. “That’s what we’ll do.”

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Robert Lawrence Bolte is survived by his wife of 49 years, Karen Julie (née Bodi) Bolte of Rensselaerville; by his daughter, Elaine K. Sargent, and her husband, Mark Sargent; by his two grandsons Evan, 9, and Ethan, 10 — all of Powhatan, Virginia; by his special nephew Dave Bolte and his family of Brimfield, Massachusetts; by two sisters, Darlene and Dorothy; by one brother, Eugene; and by numerous nieces and nephews.

Five of his sisters and five of his brothers died before him.

A memorial service is being held at the Westerlo Reformed Church in Westerlo at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 11. A reception will follow the service at the Fellowship Hall. The family is asking attendees to wear red (clothes, jewelry, feather, etc.) in his honor — red was his favorite color.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Rensselaerville Senior Bus Fund or the Veterans Ring of Honor Fund. Checks may be sent to the Town of Rensselaerville, 87 Barger Road, Medusa NY  12120 and made out to the fund of choice.

— Melissa Hale-Spencer