Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School (RFH) graduates going back several decades are honoring the memory of former RFH math teacher and basketball and baseball coach, Thomas Botti.

Botti passed away in July 6 at what had become his Royal Palm Beach, Florida home in 1999 after retirement, according to his obituary on legacy.com. He was 87 and was laid to rest today at South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, FL.

Botti taught math for more than four decades and was chairman of the Math Department at RFH until the end of his tenure there in addition to coaching freshman baseball and varsity basketball.

“RIP Coach,” said RFH grad Troy Brandon on the Fair Haven Facebook page.

“He was a super teacher and class advisor to the graduationing class of 1963,” said Jacqui Foster Reynoso on the Facebook page.

“I had Mr. Botti for Algebra I in freshman year,”  RFH grad Susan Mapes Zimmermann said. “My only A in mathematics, and I never did much good after that. I liked him very much.”

So, the Retro Pic(s) of the day honor the math teacher and coach with the above shots of Mr. Botti in action coaching and being a department head in the RFH yearbooks of the mid-1970s. Anyone remember who that is in the featured photo with the coach?

RIP, Mr. Botti. Coach. You are remembered.

Some things you may or may not know about Mr. Botti from his obituary …

Botti had a master’s degree in Education from New York University. He also served in the United States Marine Corps for a year, from 1950 to 1951.

He worked summers at Monmouth Park in Oceanport while teaching and became a mutual clerk after retirement. He enjoyed golf and ceramic painting.

Mr. Botti is survived by: his wife, Vivian; daughter, Liz Newsome and son-in-law John Newsome, of Wellington, Fl.; and daughter Cindy Morgan, of Hackensack; grandson, Spencer Morgan, of Montclair; and granddaughters Emily and Katherine Newsome, of Wellington, FL.