Lucius A. Gotti, Jr. 1931 – 2025

Lucius A. Gotti, Jr., son of the late Lucius and Valleverde Lamanna Gotti of Canajoharie, passed away on July 24, 2025, at the age of 94, at Mountain Valley Hospice & Palliative Care. Lucius was born in Canajoharie on April 5, 1931, and was a 1948 graduate of Canajoharie Central School. He received a Bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and a Master’s degree from the State University of New York at Oneonta. He completed additional graduate studies at the State University of New York at Albany, Syracuse University, and Boston University, where he studied under a doctoral fellowship from the University. He also received National Science Foundation awards for study at Indiana University, the University of Maine, and the State University of New York at Oneonta.

Lucius served in the US Army Medical Corps during the Korean War with service as a neuropsychiatric technician at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Fort Knox, Kentucky. He began his career in education as a member of the faculty at Fort Plain Central School, where he served as president of the Faculty Association and as treasurer of the Montgomery County Faculty Association. He then joined the Otsego County Board of Cooperative Educational Services as a guidance counselor and school psychologist. He was later employed by the Gloversville School District as a counselor until joining Herkimer County Community College in its first year of development where he served as Assistant Dean Counselor.

Lucius filled his retirement with travel and volunteer work. He was an AARP/IRS tax aide for 30 years, serving the local community, as well as membership on the Board of Directors of the Canajoharie-Palatine-Root-Community Chest, where he served as vice president; the Canajoharie Library and Art Gallery; the Mohawk Valley Library Association; and the West Hill School Committee, where he served as treasurer. He served as president of the Board of Directors of the Cornell Co-operative Extension of Montgomery County during its transitional year into the Cornell Cooperative Extension of Fulton and Montgomery Counties, where he also served as a Master Gardener. He represented Montgomery County on the New York State Decentralization Arts Committee of Schoharie County and was a member of the Fenimore Society of the New York State Historical Association, for which he volunteered at the Art Museum, the Farmers’ Museum, and the Research Library. He also volunteered at the Glimmerglass Opera and the Summer Music Festival in Cooperstown. Lucius also served as a tutor for the Montgomery County Literacy Organization. In 1996, he was named Senior Citizen of the Year by the Montgomery County Office for the Aging (OFA) for his service as a counselor for the Health Insurance Information Counseling and Assistance Program, service on the OFA Advisory Committee, and other volunteer activities. In 2002, he received the award for Outstanding Contribution by a Senior Citizen from the Office for the Aging. A member of the former Sts. Peter and Paul’s Catholic Church, he had served as organist for the Church. Lucius traveled extensively throughout five continents, which included a safari in Africa, biking through the Loire Valley in France and along the Danube River in Germany and Austria, hiking in the Andes in South America, walking along the Great Wall of China, and exploring the Galapagos Islands. He broadened his interest in family genealogy by visiting the birthplaces of his grandparents in Italy and discovering relatives still residing in those regions. He has cruised the Caribbean, the Yangtze River in China, the Aegean Sea, and the Danube River.

Lucius was predeceased by his sister, Louise Gotti Rose (the late Paul) of East Aurora; his sister, Phyllis Johnston (the late Edwin) of Johnstown; and his niece, Susan Gotti. He is survived by his brother, Richard Gotti (Marta) of Delmar; his nephews, Paul Rose (Kathy) of South Wales, NY, and Gary Rose (Becky), of Venice, FL; his grandnieces, Jennifer Rose of Holland, NY; Katie Leinhauser (Austin) and Kristy Charles (Martin) of Venice, FL; and his grandnephews, Nicholas Rose (Beth) of Machias, NY, and Gregory Rose (Ashley) of Holland, NY; and great grandnephews, Daniel, Benjamin, Calvin, Kingsley and Patton; and great grandnieces, Havilah, Juliet, Piper and Saoirse; and numerous cousins.

Funeral Service will be held at Betz, Rossi, Bellinger & Stewart Family Funeral Homes, 69 Otsego Street, Canajoharie, New York, on Tues, July 29, from 1:30 PM to 3:30 PM. Burial will be in Sts. Peter and Paul’s Cemetery in Canajoharie.

Contributions may be made to a charity of your choice. The family would like to extend a heartfelt appreciation to Mountain Valley Hospice for the beautiful and loving care that they gave to Lucius.