Lifelong Oxford resident, community leader, World War II veteran and past owner of Bossardet Funeral Home, Ed Bossardet passed away Tuesday night, after a long bout with cancer. He was 85.
‘I visited with him just last Thursday,? said Oxford Village resident and past village president Joe Bullen. ‘He was out on his inclosed porch. I didn’t stay long, as his condition wasn’t too good. Ed has been a good friend for many years and a person I could always count on.
‘I served with Ed on (village) council. He was always solid. He always thought things through before making his opinion — I always respected his opinion. He was good for the village, the area and the country as a veteran of WWII. He will be missed,? Bullen said.
Bullen also served with Mr. Bossardet as members of the Oxford Rotary, calling him ‘a driving force within Rotary.? Mr. Bossardet was a Rotarian for more than 50 years, past president of the local club, a Paul Harris Fellow and served as District Governor.
In 1991, the Oxford Area Chamber of Commerce named Mr. Bossardet Oxford’s Business Person of the Year for 1990.
In an interview for the May 8, 1991 Oxford Leader, Mr. Bossardet said, ‘You receive what you give, that’s my philosophy. If you don’t help people, how are you going to ask people to help you??
In that interview he said volunteering was an important part of his life. ‘I belong to an organization and I feel you should devote time to it . . . The Rotary, Lions and Kiwanis are excellent organizations that do a lot of excellent work. Without volunteers service organizations, 50 percent of the aid to people in the world wouldn’t be performed.?
Mr. Bossardet was past commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and a lifetime member, past president of the Chamber of Commerce and Oxford Veterans Association. He often was a guest speaker at the annual Memorial Day ceremonies in Centennial Park.
Mr. Bossardet bought the Maybley Funeral Home in 1964 and changed the name to Bossardet-Maybley Funeral Home until 1968, when Mr. Maybley died.
In the 1990s Mr. Bossardet ran the company with his son John and the help of Jerry Griffin. The Bossardets sold the business to the Lynch family in July of 2002. Both Bossardets and Griffin continued working at the funeral home.
Of retirement, Mr. Bossardet said, ‘What’s the sense of it? I think that’s the biggest farce to happen in the United States. Why retire when you have experience to deal with the problems? Society has lost all that experience. It’s idiotic. I may take a lot of time off, but I’ll never retire.?
Visitation will be held at the Bossardet Chapel Lynch & Sons Funeral Directors on Thursday from 7 to 9 p.m. and Friday from 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m.
The funeral is scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at the Bossardet Chapel. Pastor Bob Holt will officiate.
Bossardet will be buried at Ridgelawn Cemetery.
The family has requested memorials be made to the Orion War Memorial.