Robert Jerome Botthof was born on October 27, 1928 in Chicago, Illinois. He attended grammar school and high school in the Chicago area before entering the Christian Brothers. After a short time with the Christian Brothers he left and continued his education and married Mary Elizabeth Nutt in 1957. They had two children, James and Mary Alice. Mary died in 1980. Before entering the Dominicans, he served in the United States Marine Corps from 1953-55 and then taught high school at Niles Township East and West from 1955-72. He earned a Doctorate in Education from Indiana University in 1969. He was principal of Oak Park and River Forest High School, Oak Park, Illinois from 1972-82.

In 1982, Fr. Botthof entered the Dominican Novitiate in Denver, Colorado and professed his simple vows on August 21, 1983 at St. Dominic Priory in Denver, Colorado and his solemn vows on August 30, 1986 at the Basilica of St. Louis in St. Louis, Missouri. He completed his studies at Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis, Missouri. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 24, 1987 at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in River Forest, Illinois.

As a Dominican priest, he served as the President/Principal of Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Illinois from 1987-94. He was instrumental in facilitating Fenwick High School's becoming coeducational. He was parochial vicar and later, pastor of St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in River Forest from 1995-04 and parochial vicar at St. Domitilla Parish in Hillside, Illinois from 2004-08. His last ministry was as the Pastoral Director of the Dominican Shrine of St. Jude in Chicago until 2012. He then joined the community at St. Paul' s Catholic Center at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana for two years on limited service. Because of declining health, he returned to Chicago to the assisted living center at St. Pius V Priory a short time before he died. On the afternoon of October 15, 2014, he died peacefully in his room at St. Pius with some of the brothers and priory staff with him.

Services were held at St. Vincent Ferrer Church in River Forest, Illinois on Monday, October 20, 2014, beginning with the reception of the body and Office of the Dead at 4:00PM and visitation until 6:00PM. Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 at 10:00AM preceded by Sung Morning Prayer. Fr. Charles Bouchard, 0.P., Prior Provincial, presided and preached. At the family's request, he was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery, Taylorville, Illinois.