Gerald N. Gotsch

Gerald N. Gotsch

May 12, 1938 – February 3, 2022

On February 3, 2022, Gerald N. Gotsch, loving husband and father, passed away at the age of 83. Jerry, as he was known by friends and family, was born in Monticello, NY on May 12, 1938 to Herman and Ethel (Knight) Gotsch. He graduated from the College of Forestry in Syracuse, NY (now known as SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry) with a Bachelor of Science degree in forestry in 1960. He practiced forestry as an associate forester with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation for 38 years. Upon retirement he was the proprietor of his own forestry consulting business, Denman Mountain Forestry Services. He served on the board of directors for the Catskill Forest Association including a term as president. He may be best known as the owner and operator of Gotsch Christmas Tree Farm, which he ran with his family. He took great pride in cultivating the trees and enjoyed interacting with customers and members of the community during the holiday season.

Jerry had a passion for the outdoors including hunting and fishing and doing work around his family’s property such as mowing fields and cutting firewood.He was an ardent bird watcher and greatly enjoyed identifying the birds that frequented his bird feeder. He was an extensive collector of stamps, coins, antique bottles, and Uncle Sam figurines. He was an avid sports fan with his favorite teams being the NY Rangers, NY Giants, NY Mets, and Syracuse Basketball. He also enjoyed visiting historic sites and watching World War II documentaries. He had a green thumb and took great joy in cultivating his apple orchard, vegetable garden, and an assortment of different flowers.

He was predeceased by his mother and father and his first wife, Mary Lou (Lennon) Gotsch.

He is survived by his wife Linda (Lowe) Gotsch; his children Timothy Gotsch, Jennifer(Gotsch) Hanssen, Jill Gotsch, ThomasGotsch, and Brent Gotsch; his grandchildren Timothy Gotsch, Jessica (Gotsch) Borzi, Willis Hanssen, Kendra Hanssen, and Daria Hanssen; his great-grandchildren Felicity Gotsch, Audrey Gotsch, and Phoebe Borzi; his brother James Gotsch; and several cousins, nieces, nephews, and in-laws.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, February 19, 2022, starting at 11:30am at the Daniel Piece Library in Grahamsville, NY.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Catskill Forest Association or the American Parkinson’s Disease Association