Arthur F. Gobron

Mr. Arthur F. Gobron, Jr., of Watertown and formerly of West Roxbury, died Monday, September 7, 2020, at St. Elizabeth's Hospital in Brighton of heart disease. He was 90.

Arthur was born in Cambridge on May 7, 1930, the only son of the late Arthur F., Sr. and Ernestine (Johnson) Gobron. A Watertown resident for much of his life, he was a graduate of Boston College High School (1948) and earned his Bachelor's degree in 1952 from Boston College. He met his future wife, Marie C. Nestor, in kindergarten at the James Russell Lowell school. They were married for 60 years when Marie passed away from cancer on May 24, 2013.

After working briefly in Washington, DC in the area of national security, Arthur enjoyed a long career in finance for the General Electric Credit Corporation. He served as the finance manager for its Northeast Division, specializing in loans for mobile home, boat and other recreational vehicle dealerships. He retired in 1990.

Arthur and Marie lived a large part of their family life in West Roxbury, where they raised their three children in St. Theresa of Avila parish. They returned to Watertown in 1976. Both Arthur and Marie were deeply involved in the lives of their grandchildren – Matthew and Michael Nisbet of Watertown and Kevin, Meaghan, Kerry and Lauren Gobron, who lived in Norwood. In so many family photos, Arthur is holding a grandchild in his arms.

Throughout his life, Arthur held a special admiration and appreciation for St. Francis and the Franciscan religious order. He looked forward to Mass and receiving the sacrament of reconciliation at the St. Anthony Shrine on Arch Street in downtown Boston. In addition, he had a special devotion to the rosary. He and Marie were members of St. Patrick's (Watertown) and St. Luke's (Belmont) parishes as well as frequent attendees at Arch Street.

Arthur was an avid Red Sox fan and a member of the General Electric Elfun Society. In his later years, he enjoyed what he described as a "simple life" that included a thorough reading of his daily Boston Globe, dinners with his neighbor Susan Mehigan, and close monitoring of local, national and international political events.

In addition to his wife Marie, he was predeceased by his granddaughter, Meaghan Marie Gobron (Aug. 24, 2018), daughter-in-law, Deborah Zapka Gobron (May 10, 2000) and his sister, Muriel Gobron (July 10, 1941).

He leaves his children, William E. Gobron (Diane Jankowski) of Rancho Santa Margarita, California, Louise M. Gobron (David Sleet) of Berkeley Lake, Georgia and Jeanne M. Nisbet of Watertown; his grandchildren, Kevin Gobron of Vista, California, Michael Nisbet of San Francisco, California, Matthew Nisbet of Yarmouth, Massachusetts, Kerry Gobron-Martinez (Javier), Lauren Gobron (Kenny Martinez) all of San Marcos, California; his great-grandchildren, Sophia and Chelsea Martinez of San Marcos, California; and cousins, nieces & nephews.

A Memorial Mass will be said for Arthur on Saturday, September 11th at 12 noon in Saint Patrick's Church, 212 Main Street, Watertown.

Memorials in his name may be made to Franciscan Children's Hospital, 30 Warren Street, Brighton, MA 02135.