Obituary of Angelo Frank Gazzotto

Angelo Frank Gazzotto Angelo Frank Gazzotto was born into eternal life Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2016. Born June 19, 1941 in Manhattan Hospital, New York, N.Y., to Angelo Frank Gazzotto Sr. and Caterina Rodda, Angelo grew up in the Bronx with a strong Italian heritage. Angelo attended Bronx Public School 83 and DeWitt Clinton High School, graduating in 1959. He graduated from the State University of New York Maritime College at Fort Schuyler in 1963 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Transportation. Angelo served in the Army from 1964 to 1966, then in the Army reserves until 1970. He joined Masters, Mates and Pilots in 1963, and was a lifetime member. Following his service, he embarked on a journey of a lifetime as a 2nd or 3rd mate in the Merchant Marines. He saw the world, piloting many ships around the globe through the day and under the stars. Before the digital age – he was a master of navigation and maritime tools, such as the sextant, the gyroscopic compass, the Loran radar, inertial navigation systems, tide tables, and nautical charts, leveraging his skill with these instruments to safely deliver his cargo and return home. There were obstacles along the way, especially in times of war, such as when he narrowly escaped the bombing of the American Hawk in 1971 in port in Qui Nhon Harbor, South Vietnam. He retired in 1988 after 25 years of service, and spent time on his passions of fishing and woodworking. He was a true artist, creating many carvings of fish, detailed boat replicas, nautical drawings, ships in bottles, knots and rope-work, and fine nautical woodwork. He was a frequent contributor to numerous publications, including the Saltwater Fisherman and Sea History. An avid fisherman is an understatement. Angelo made his own lures and rods and refurbished reels. His favorite fishing locales were Pt. Pleasant Beach, N.J., the Outer Banks of North Carolina and Cape Cod, Mass., where he spent many hours in quiet solitude – just him and the sea on the shores of the eastern shoreline. He formed many deep friendships along the way, both at sea and in ports, and he treasured his time with his friends. He leaves a beloved sister, Perla Cavallo and brother-in-law, Bruno Cavallo, from Furlong; a niece, Karen Distler, husband, Norman Distler, and grandnephew, Michael Distler of Warminster; grandniece, Andrea McGee, and great grandnephew, Jackson McGee of Levittown, Pa.; a niece, Michele Engelhart and husband, Robert Engelhart, grandnieces, Kimberly and Katherine Engelhart of Flemington, N.J. and grandnephew, Brian Engelhart of Mystic, Conn.; nephew, Peter Cavallo and spouse, Gail Speakman, grandnephew, Daniel Cavallo and grandnieces, Sara and Michaela Cavallo of Dublin. Relatives and friends may call Sunday 6 to 8 p.m. at Louis Swift Plunkett Funeral Home, 529 N. York Rd., Hatboro. Funeral Mass will be celebrated 10:30 a.m. Monday, at St. Cyril of Jerusalem Church, 1410 Almshouse Rd., Jamison. Interment will be in Ressurection Cemetery Bensalem. There will be no morning viewing.