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Robert J. “Bob” Nutile, of Winchester (and Woburn), Mass. passed away peacefully Sunday, May 18, 2025, surrounded by his devoted wife of 47 years, Susan M. (Casey) Nutile, and daughter, Kathryn Nutile.
Bob battled with Parkinson’s Disease for many years after suffering a stroke in 2006.
Bob was a native of Winchester and was known around town as Mr. Baseball, having spent much of his life coaching, organizing, and being involved with Winchester’s youth baseball program for almost 50 years.
After Bob’s father died when Bob was young, he was guided through Little League by other Winchester dads. Bob made it a priority in his life to return the favor to other young ball players in Winchester.
He started as a baseball umpire and coach while still in high school and eventually coached for 48 years and also served as president of Winchester Baseball for 21 years.
Born in 1949 to John Joseph Nutile and Edith (Cerulli) Nutile, Bob was a multi-sport athlete at Winchester High School.
In football, Bob was the leading scorer in his junior and senior years, and all-scholastic in 1966. He was captain of his hockey team and “All League” in his junior and senior years, and he was a three-year starter for Winchester’s baseball team and all-scholastic in his junior and senior years.
Bob went on to Vermont Academy and then to Clarkson University on hockey scholarships. Bob played minor league hockey for the Greenfield Mohawks in the Eastern Hockey League.
Bob was inducted into the Winchester High School Hall of Fame in 2000, and the Babe Ruth Eastern Mass Hall of Fame in 2012. That same year, he was also honored by Babe Ruth Baseball with the Lefty Gomez Volunteer of the Year award. He entered the Babe Ruth New England Hall of Fame in 2013.
In his professional life, Bob had multiple roles in sales and program management but he was truly passionate about his family and about being a coach and mentor to young athletes in Winchester.
Bob’s savvy business skills also paid dividends to the kids in Winchester. Through his negotiations, fundraising efforts, and thorough planning he was able to create a Field of Dreams-like ballpark in Winchester by improving the playing surface, adding a home run fence, additional lighting, and building a press box and snack bar.
The facility so impressed regional Cal Ripken league officials that they convinced Bob to host the 2009 and 2012 Cal Ripken World Series in Winchester. In 2007, Winchester Town Meeting voted to rename the field Robert J. Nutile Field.
Each of Bob’s teams held a special place in his heart. He never admitted to having a favorite team, but depending on who asked, he would fondly recall both his 1982 and 1994 teams.
Bob is survived by his loving wife, Susan Nutile, of Woburn; his daughter, Kathryn and her partner, Douglas MacAuley, of North Andover; his sister, Regina Mead and husband, Leonard, of Apollo Beach, Fla.
He also leaves many in-laws, nieces, nephews and thousands of former ball players who called him Coach.
Bob’s family would like to acknowledge the compassionate care provided by the staff at Sunrise of Lynnfield, Mass. during the final months of Bob’s life.
Relatives, friends, and sports fans are invited to attend visiting hours at the Costello Funeral home at 177 Washington St., Winchester, on Thursday, May 22, from 4 p.m. to 7 pm.
A funeral Mass will be held at 12 p.m. on Friday, May 23 at St. Mary’s Church, 155 Washington St., Winchester.
Donation in Bob’s memory can be made to the American Parkinson’s Disease Association Massachusetts Chapter.
