ROCHESTER - Harry Willliam Colbath, known as Bill, passed away on September 8, 2026 at the age of 85, in Rochester, NH where he resided. Bill was born in Farmington, NH on December 7, 1940 to Harry Goodwin Colbath and Frances Hughes Colbath. Bill attended the Farmington
In 1958, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Carol Rose Johnson, and they made their home in Rochester, NH. They had two daughters, Paula K. Colbath and Burnette A. Colbath.
Bill enlisted in the United States Navy in 1958 and served with distinction. On February 27, 1961 he set sail from Long Beach, CA on the USS Topeka (CLG-8), a guided-missile cruiser, assigned to operations in the Western Pacific. His naval service took him from California to Hawaii and onward to the Philippines, Japan, Hong Kong, and other ports across the Pacific, giving him experiences and memories that remained with him for a lifetime. He was deeply proud of his military service, having followed in his father’s and father-in-law’s footsteps. He was active with a number of veterans organizations and never lost the discipline, patriotism, and sense of duty that was instilled in him during his military service.
Bill was very well known and respected in the Rochester community. He was the youngest school board member ever elected to the Rochester School Board and went on to serve on the Rochester City Council.
Bill was entrepreneurial by nature and possessed an extraordinary work ethic. He founded Colbath Equipment, Inc. (a sales, rental, and service company) and built it from the ground up into a highly successful business with locations in Rochester, Dover, and Farmington. More than simply a business, it became a family enterprise: over the years, Bill worked alongside his wife Carol, he employed his father, his brother, and one of his daughters. He took great pride not only in what he had built, but in the opportunity it gave him to work side by side with the people he loved.
Bill was an avid golfer playing locally in many leagues. He loved hunting and fishing and in 2024 had received his New Hampshire lifetime fishing license.
More than anything, Bill will be remembered for his unwavering honesty and fairness. Whether in business, public service, or simply dealing with a neighbor, his word could be trusted and his handshake meant something. He believed in treating people fairly, doing what was right, and never taking advantage of anyone – a reputation he earned over a lifetime and one of which his family is especially proud.
Bill is survived by his wife Carol, both daughters, Paula’s husband William R. Becker, Jr., a grandson, William R. Becker III, his sisters Sylvia Glover and Diane Gray and her husband John, his brother George and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his sister Shirley Colbath and his prior wife, Patricia Chorba, with whom he shared an important chapter of his life. He is remembered with affection by his stepchildren, Lynn Boucher, Steven Chorba, and Bonnie Desrochers, who became part of his extended family during their marriage.