William John Bovitz

John went to elementary school at St. Charles in Woburn, MA and then Wilmington (MA), H.S.  He worked at DeMoulas Supermarket and a Jello factory when he was in high school/college.  He played baseball, track, and cross country in H.S.

childhood memories:

•     building snow forts in Weinberg's parking lot

•     having Grandmother Welch bake pies for him

•     playing baseball until the cover came off, taping it with black electrical tape, then playing until it got dark and no one could see the black baseball!

•     Mrs. Simmons (not Mrs. Field's) chocolate chip cookies

•     going to school on the train & dad picking him up from school at 5:15

•     taking trips to Minnesota in the back seat of the car with his sisters-- major teasing!

He attended Boston College and got a BA in Economics in 1967.  After that, he enlisted in the Navy and became a navigator (because he wore glasses he couldn't be a pilot).  He volunteered to go to Vietnam, but was assigned off the coast of Africa instead.

He's lived in Boston, Pensacola, Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Columbus, OH and then Avon, IN.

His favorite foods are lobster, turkey & mashed potatoes, and apple pie.  As kids, we would always have to eat the pie or cake the night it was served, because he would eat it for breakfast and it was gone!  Grandma always liked fixing him tapioca pudding, too.

He loved the Star Wars movies.  His kids (except Meggan) could quote almost every line from each movie!  He also liked the movie "Princess Bride" even though he didn't watch movies in general.

Like Donna, he remembers traveling to Grandma Jordan's in Big Red (the family's big red van) and traveling all over the Midwest to support Meggan & Bryan's swimming.

He is an avid jogger-- averaging about 5 miles a day.  He trained yearly for the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon for over 23 years.  He has won the Bovenz Cup for five consecutive years. (A competition between John & his best friend Leo Stenz)

He was on the very first St. Luke Mountain trip with his son JJ and then at least 11 trips after that.  The Mountain Trip became a defining event in each one of his children's lives as well as his.  JJ, Bryan & Katie went all 4 of their high school years... coming back from Ohio to Indy to go. Meggan, JJ & Bryan were staff on several mountain trips as well... coming from Portland or Seattle at times to go!

He climbed Longs Peak in Colorado in 1999 and attempted Mt. Rainer in Washington in 2000.

He was involved in the church through choir with Donna and other activities.  He also went on Cursillo in 1980.

Some other hobbies:

•     supporting his wife's hobby-du-jour

•     his palm pilot

•     sailing

•     playing Euchre & Bridge

•     board games

•     watching horseracing

•     Uber driving