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Boetcker William A.
William A. Boetcker
Edinboro – Bill was born July 14, 1910, to Rev. William J.H.
and Anna Albrecht Boetcker in Toledo, OH. He was one of ten children (two boys and eight girls). For eight years the family lived on a 150-acre farm in Geneva, OH, where Bill “grew up”. In Geneva High School he was active in athletics; intramural basketball, varsity baseball and track. He graduated with honors in 1927 (won Flory Trophy for “best all around male student”).
In 1927 the family moved to Erie, PA where Bill worked with his father as secretary for two years and then went to college, working and borrowing his way through. He graduated from Allegheny College, Meadville, PA in 1933 with a B.A. Degree (majoring in History and minoring in Economics). His extra-curricular activities in college included track (captain), debate and theater. He took post-graduate courses at NYU and Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
He married Winifred Nagle in 1936. She preceded him in death March 12, 2003. They lived on Long Island until WWII intervened and he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. They had three children. Between wars the family lived in Chagrin Falls, OH. For two years during the Korean War they lived in Nurnberg, Germany, where Bill was Chief of Operations for the PX's in Europe (“EES”), with the rank of Colonel.
Bill's business career included early experience of selling store-to-store (chewing gum) and house-to-house (vacuum cleaners). He was with TALON, Inc. from 1934-1954, which included two periods of military service with the Army Air Corps in WWII and the US Air Force during the Korean War. From 1954 to 1975 he was with GAF Corporation as product sales manager, district sales manager, division export manager, and finally as manager of Export Operations.
Following his mandatory retirement from GAF in 1975 Bill was invited by Dr. and Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale to join the staff of the Foundation for Christian Living (now Peale Center for Christian Living) in Pawling, NY, as Director of Special Services. For twelve years he managed the School of Practical Christianity (for ministers and their spouses), the annual FCL Thanksgiving Reunions (eight day retreats at vacation resorts with groups of 800 – 1400 people), and the marketing of recordings of Dr. Peale's sermons.
During his life Bill was active in youth and community activities. In scouting he achieved the rank of Star Scout and was (de facto) assistant scoutmaster at age 15. As a volunteer in New York he introduced and taught tumbling to boys of the Madison Square Boys Club. Following WWII, in Chagrin Falls, OH, he was cubmaster for two years for 60 cub scouts and their parents, and committeeman for the scout troop. While director of personnel and administration for the USAF Reserve Wing in Cleveland, he set up an Air Explorer program at the air base with 350 Explorer Scouts from Greater Cleveland participating monthly.
In the Order of DeMolay he served as Master Councilor of Erie, PA Chapter, as State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania, and later as advisor to several chapters. He is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor (since 1930). He is a communicant member of the Marble Collegiate Church, New York City, where he served on the Consistory for twenty years. He was an associate member of the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie since 1977. He was a founding director of Help Line Telephone Services, a CONTACT crisis intervention telephone counseling center in New York with 400 volunteers. He served on the Executive Board of the Center for twenty-four years, as chairman for more than ten.
Bill was a member of the Edinboro Rotary Club. He was a volunteer counselor with the Poughkeepsie Chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), which meets weekly to counsel people with business problems. He was a past president of the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the Military Officer's Association.
Survivors include his second wife, Beryl (Randall) Boetcker; his son, William A. Boetcker, Jr.; two daughters, Frances B. Kanz and Ruth E. Boetcker; step-son, Robert C. Nagle; three step-daughters, Susanne R. Turteltaub, Helen M. Manross and Marian B. Harrison; as well as
many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and his youngest sister, Margaret Hale of Sun City, Arizona.
Services were held February 4, 2009, at the Glunt Funeral Home, 210 Erie Street, Edinboro. Burial followed in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Disabled American Veterans @ http://www.dav.org or Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.william a.
boetcker
Edinboro – Bill was born July 14, 1910, to Rev. William J.H.
and Anna Albrecht Boetcker in Toledo, OH. He was one of ten children (two boys and eight girls). For eight years the family lived on a 150-acre farm in Geneva, OH, where Bill “grew up”. In Geneva High School he was active in athletics; intramural basketball, varsity baseball and track. He graduated with honors in 1927 (won Flory Trophy for “best all around male student”).
In 1927 the family moved to Erie, PA where Bill worked with his father as secretary for two years and then went to college, working and borrowing his way through. He graduated from Allegheny College, Meadville, PA in 1933 with a B.A. Degree (majoring in History and minoring in Economics). His extra-curricular activities in college included track (captain), debate and theater. He took post-graduate courses at NYU and Western Reserve University in Cleveland.
He married Winifred Nagle in 1936. She preceded him in death March 12, 2003. They lived on Long Island until WWII intervened and he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. They had three children. Between wars the family lived in Chagrin Falls, OH. For two years during the Korean War they lived in Nurnberg, Germany, where Bill was Chief of Operations for the PX's in Europe (“EES”), with the rank of Colonel.
Bill's business career included early experience of selling store-to-store (chewing gum) and house-to-house (vacuum cleaners). He was with TALON, Inc. from 1934-1954, which included two periods of military service with the Army Air Corps in WWII and the US Air Force during the Korean War. From 1954 to 1975 he was with GAF Corporation as product sales manager, district sales manager, division export manager, and finally as manager of Export Operations.
Following his mandatory retirement from GAF in 1975 Bill was invited by Dr. and Mrs. Norman Vincent Peale to join the staff of the Foundation for Christian Living (now Peale Center for Christian Living) in Pawling, NY, as Director of Special Services. For twelve years he managed the School of Practical Christianity (for ministers and their spouses), the annual FCL Thanksgiving Reunions (eight day retreats at vacation resorts with groups of 800 – 1400 people), and the marketing of recordings of Dr. Peale's sermons.
During his life Bill was active in youth and community activities. In scouting he achieved the rank of Star Scout and was (de facto) assistant scoutmaster at age 15. As a volunteer in New York he introduced and taught tumbling to boys of the Madison Square Boys Club. Following WWII, in Chagrin Falls, OH, he was cubmaster for two years for 60 cub scouts and their parents, and committeeman for the scout troop. While director of personnel and administration for the USAF Reserve Wing in Cleveland, he set up an Air Explorer program at the air base with 350 Explorer Scouts from Greater Cleveland participating monthly.
In the Order of DeMolay he served as Master Councilor of Erie, PA Chapter, as State Master Councilor of Pennsylvania, and later as advisor to several chapters. He is a member of the DeMolay Legion of Honor (since 1930). He is a communicant member of the Marble Collegiate Church, New York City, where he served on the Consistory for twenty years. He was an associate member of the Reformed Church of Poughkeepsie since 1977. He was a founding director of Help Line Telephone Services, a CONTACT crisis intervention telephone counseling center in New York with 400 volunteers. He served on the Executive Board of the Center for twenty-four years, as chairman for more than ten.
Bill was a member of the Edinboro Rotary Club. He was a volunteer counselor with the Poughkeepsie Chapter of SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), which meets weekly to counsel people with business problems. He was a past president of the Mid-Hudson Chapter of the Military Officer's Association.
Survivors include his second wife, Beryl (Randall) Boetcker; his son, William A. Boetcker, Jr.; two daughters, Frances B. Kanz and Ruth E. Boetcker; step-son, Robert C. Nagle; three step-daughters, Susanne R. Turteltaub, Helen M. Manross and Marian B. Harrison; as well as
many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, and his youngest sister, Margaret Hale of Sun City, Arizona.
Services were held February 4, 2009, at the Glunt Funeral Home, 210 Erie Street, Edinboro. Burial followed in Poughkeepsie Rural Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to Disabled American Veterans @ http://www.dav.org or Disabled American Veterans, PO Box 14301, Cincinnati, OH 45250-0301.
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