Robert J. Gorall

Robert J. Gorall

Newark/Red Creek—Robert J. Gorall, 78, died Sunday (September 4, 2011) at his home in Red Creek.  

            Friends may call from 2-4 and 7-9 P.M. on Wednesday (September 7^th) at the Paul L. Murphy & Sons Funeral Home, 127 East Miller Street, Newark.  Funeral services will be held at 11 AM on Thursday at the funeral home.  Burial will be in East Palmyra Cemetery.

            Memorials in his name may be made to Newark-Arcadia Historical Society PO Box 289, Newark, New York 14513 or to the Friends of Ganondagan, 1488 NY Rt 444, Victor, New York 14564.

            Mr. Gorall was born January 6, 1933 in Rochester, the son of the late Frank and Viola Hoffman Gorall.  He attended East High School in Rochester before enlisting in the US Navy, serving on the USS Wm. M Wood.  Bob attended R.I.T. in Rochester while working as an ironworker.  In 1995, he retired, after a 35 year career at Xerox where Bob was an inspector in the tool and gage lab. While living in Newark, he co-founded the Arcadia Historical Society in 1992.  Over the years, he had worked on several Native American historical dig sites.  Bob served on the Rochester Native American Cultural Center Board of Directors from 1985-94 and was co-founder of the 1794 Canandiagua Treaty Commemoration Committee.  He was adopted into the Hawk Clan of the Iroquois Allegheny Seneca Nation on May 2. 1993 and was named Ha Je No Who Seh meaning “He Helps”.  Bob served on the Board of Directors of the Rochester Academy of Science (Anthropology Section), was past president of the New York State Archaeological Association and a representative of the NYSAA Eastern States Archaeology.  A past president of the Lewis Henry Morgan Chapter (NYSAA), he also was a member of the William Beauchamp and Thousand Islands Chapters.  Bob had been Associate Editor of the “The Iroquoin” from 1981-1991 and had several articles published in both “The Iroquoian and the “NYSAA Bulletin & Journal”.

            He is survived by his loving wife of 58 years, Muriel; sons Jeffrey (Kim) of Mesa, AZ, Thomas (Joretta) of Clifton Springs, David (Jana) Mitchell of Peyton, CO; daughters Christina (Roger) Champion of Red Creek, Julia (David) Young of Newark; eleven granddaughters, two grandsons and twenty three great grandchildren; many nieces, nephews and good friends.  He was predeceased by a daughter Charlotte, two sons Patrick and Stephen Mitchell, four brothers and three sisters.

Remembrance may be made to www.murphyandsonsfuneralhome.com