PUNTA GORDA, Fla. — Eugene “Gene” Edmond Cote Sr., 83, died Dec. 30, 2019 in Port Charlotte, Fla., following a long illness.
Born in Claremont, N.H., on Sept. 21, 1936, he was the middle of five sons born to Donat and Yvonne (nee Savaria) Cote of Newport, N.H. He graduated from Towle High School in Newport, N.H., and worked as a heavy equipment and diesel mechanic for Holmes Transportation, a large New England trucking company and was based in its Vermont terminal.
He was a member of the Army National Guard and was called to active duty during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Cathy Field, of Punta Gorda, Fla., and Pemaquid, Maine; daughters, Deborah (Stephen) Yardumian of Boxborough, Mass., and Lisa Cote of Canterbury, N.H.; son, Eugene “Buster” (Erica) Cote Jr. of Sutton, N.H., and stepdaughter, Jolene (John) Clough of Newport, N.H. He also leaves a brother, Lawrence “Larry” (Jacqueline) Cote of Newport, N.H. and numerous grandchildren, nephews and nieces.
He was predeceased by his parents, Donat and Yvonne, three brothers, Donat, Raoul, and Leo Cote and stepdaughters, Karen Williams and Brenda Kingsbury.
Gene loved anything having to do with cars, trucks and motors and had a vast collection of trucks and truck parts. He loved auto racing of any kind, especially NASCAR and DIRT. In the winter months, he and his friends and family enjoyed snowmobiling throughout New Hampshire and into Canada.
As a young man, he worked in a pit crew for a Newport, N.H., racing team that raced in Claremont, N.H. He was very proud of his team and “car No. 51”. He also helped with car “3NH”, that raced on short tracks in New Hampshire and Vermont. He was a member of the Grange, Moose, American Legion and Elks.
In the mid 90’s, he and Cathy sold their house in Dresden, Maine, climbed into their motor home and headed for untold adventures. They made two trips across the United States, visiting many National and State Parks on their journeys. They traveled extensively throughout the Eastern United States, and found a welcoming winter home in Punta Gorda, Fla., all the while living in the motor home.
They returned to Maine for the summer months, and lived in their motor home on Pemaquid Point. Some of his favorite experiences were getting caught in a Bison Traffic Jam in Yellowstone National Park, attending a Cajun street festival in Eunice, La., walking on the SKYWALK over the Grand Canyon, and exploring the Natchez Trace, a winding scenic road from Tennessee to Mississippi.
He loved his family, babies, animals, warm summer days, the mountains and farm lands of New Hampshire and rocks and surf of the coast of Maine. At the end of his life, he was surrounded by friends and neighbors, his wife and his beloved cat, Leila Yvonne.
Services will be held at a later date in Maine. The family suggests, in lieu of flowers, donations to the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.
Please visit kays-ponger.com to leave the family your thoughts, memories and condolences on the online guestbook. Kays-Ponger & Uselton Funeral Home, Punta Gorda, Fla.
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.