LACONIA ---- Robert ‘Bo’ Daniel Usle, of Laconia, NH, took his final walk over the horizon on Sunday, November 9, 2025. He was accompanied by his daughter and sister-in-law as he took his final breath at the Granite VNA Hospice House in Concord, New Hampshire, where the nursing staff worked effortlessly to make him comfortable. In his final months of life, he was surrounded by the company of his family and friends while fighting valiantly and bravely against Cancer and COPD.
Bo ‘Bobby’ was born on July 16, 1949 in Barre, Vermont, to Frederick and Amelia (Cano) Usle. He attended Brook Street School, Mathewson School, and Spaulding High School, which he graduated from in 1967. Bo was married twice and maintained a friendship with his second wife, Patty D’Avignon, after they separated, for the love they had for their daughter. In later years,
Bo built a friendship with Patty’s husband, TJ D’Avignon, originally from Weybridge, Vermont.
After graduating high school, Bo started his career with Sanel Auto Parts and joined the Air National Guard - U.S. Air Force division in 1967. He was enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and left for basic training in San Antonio, Texas on January 1, 1968. Bo served his country from 1967 to 1973 before being honorably discharged and establishing his status as U.S. Veteran.
While maintaining his military duties, he pursued a business partnership with his brother, opening One Stop Market in 1969. One Stop, as it would later be called, was the first store in the state of Vermont to sell Megabucks tickets, Ben and Jerry’s ice cream, gasoline, and groceries at one establishment. The market operated until 1983, when Bo and his brother Ray pursued their second business venture as photofinishers. The duo trained at the Noritsu Institute in Ramsey, New Jersey and opened Flashback Photo Lab in Barre, Vermont in late 1983. They opened a second Flashback location in Montpelier, Vermont in 1988. Both Flashback’s operated until 2006.
During their business tenure, their team became an extension of the Usle family as did the friendships Bo maintained throughout his life. His Mardi Gras adventures to Alabama with John and Charlene, his reigning moments at Animal House with Skip, and the many gatherings with Gary and BJ and the Happy Hour Crew were some of the best moments of his life. Those friendships flourished into lifelong bonds for he and his daughter, Heather, whom he shared many experiences with as a devoted father.
Over the years, Bo was involved with administrative activities with the Elks Club (BPOE) being a lifetime member of 47 years. The Elks Club in Barre was a familiar watering hole for him where he felt it was a place “where everybody knows your name” and enjoyed the weekly banter with the “cronies” and his favorite bartenders. It gave him a similar comfort as his years prior at Jack’s Backyard. He enjoyed culinary experiences and taking trips, but “always did it right.” Finding the best restaurant on the map was crucial. He had a fondness for the many trips he and his daughter took to Disney World, the Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii, Maine, or the “ROAD TRIPS” around New England in the “BO-Vet”. He found beauty in nature, enjoying the beaches and forests of Maine and found awe in the views from Crawford Notch on his many adventures with his sister Phyllis and brother-in-law Stevie.
Bo had a bigger-than-life personality and a humor that could not be replicated. His monologues, movie references, and unique jokes would go down in history as being uniquely his own. Only Bo could master them the way he did. He enjoyed many music varietals but had a fondness for the doo-wop genre and enjoyed going to concerts with his “extended” brother-in-law, David Robinson. Bo was known for his bizarre dance moves where there was often a request to watch him do the Gator, the Pee-Wee Herman, or the “I’ve Got a Feeling” dance that were all his own moves.
Bo moved to Laconia, New Hampshire in 2006 where he resided until his death. The connection he shared with his sister Phyllis and the Johansson family meant a great deal to him and they provided unwavering support to him in his later years. He was known for having a direct brashness about him while having a heart of gold. He would do anything for anyone, he loved deeply, and he respected anyone that showed him the same respect. People will remember Bo for being a person that made it clear you knew where you stood with him.
Bo is survived by his daughter Heather Marie Usle of Barre, Vermont; his sister Phyllis (Steve) Johansson of Laconia, New Hampshire; his brother Manuel “Butch” (Linda) Usle of Springfield, Vermont; his brother Raymond “Ray” (Linda) Usle of Meredith, New Hampshire; his “sister-in-law” Carrie Robinson of Meredith, New Hampshire; his extended Thompson, Robinson, and Johansson families; and many nieces, nephews and grandnieces/grandnephews. He was predeceased by his parents Fred “Pa” and Amelia “Ma” Usle; his baby brother Richard “Ricky” Usle; his “brother-in-law” David Robinson; and his grandpup Neeci Marie, to which “Grandpaw” spent a great deal of time with.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements for Bo’s final journey to the afterlife. Services will be held in the spring at Hooker and Whitcomb Funeral Home in Barre, Vermont, with a Celebration of Life for Bo and a private graveside service for family. A portion of his soul will be released in Crawford Notch, as requested. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Granite VNA Hospice House, 240 Pleasant Street, Concord, New Hampshire 03301, where they cared for him and his family during his final weeks.
We find comfort in knowing that his legacy lives on through the lessons he taught us, the love he shared, and the memories we cherish.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services/603Cremations.com, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, NH, 03246. For more information and to view an online memorial, please visit wilkinsonbeane.com.