Obituary of Kenneth Gerard Bagot

Bagot, Kenneth Gerard, “Ken,” 87, of St. Petersburg passed away on November 2, 2023, at Westminster Palms in the company of his two daughters, Nancy and Liz, and his dedicated life companion, Melinda. Born on August 9, 1936, in Princeton, NJ, Ken was a vibrant man with a big personality, an enormous sense of humor, an angelic singing voice, and an unbreakable dedication to God and his Catholic faith. While a New Jersey boy at heart (Class of 54 from Hightstown High and with a B.A. from Rider College in ’61), Ken lived in Pinellas County for almost 50 years, having moved to Belleair Beach with his young family to start his own business as a book publishers representative. Having lost his wife Roseann McGorty Bagot to cancer in 1977, Ken raised his two daughters with love, respect, and unwavering support for their education. His love and loyalty to his friends from every stage of life was immeasurable, as was his love and dedication to his large Irish family – reunions occurred often and were filled with jokes, songs, and antics. Ken was blessed to meet his loving companion of two decades, Melinda Hopper, who was at his side during many good times and his final illness. Stories about Ken are endless and will warm our hearts for years to come. Many will involve classic movies, the Great American songbook canon, golf, and his great friendships.

Ken is survived by his daughters, Nancy Bagot and Elizabeth Bagot, Elizabeth’s husband Arthur Huh, granddaughter Carrie Huh, and partner Melinda Hopper. He is preceded in death by his brothers Gilbert (Gil) and Frank (Fran), sister Geraldine (Gerry), mother Agnes McCarthy and father Gilbert Bagot.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, December 9, 2023, at 10:00 AM at St. Raphael Catholic Parish (1376 Snell Isle Blvd NE, St Petersburg, FL).

In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Kenneth Bagot '62 may be made to Rider University in support of the Rider Scholarship Fund. Online gifts may be made at rider.edu/makeadifference, and checks (made payable to Rider University) can be mailed to University Advancement, Rider University, 2083 Lawrenceville Road, Lawrenceville, NJ 08648 with "In Memory of Kenneth Bagot" in the memo line. The family will be notified of all gifts received in his honor.