He fought a good fight, he finished the race, he kept the faith.  Those words from Second Timothy describe the life well lived of Bobby Dale Boulware.  Bob battled health issues for several years and after a short stay in the hospital last week he was released into the care of Hospice and his devoted wife and family.  His wife, Rose, his son Aaron and wife Julie, his daughter Carrie and husband James were at his bedside as he breathed out his last breath on earth and breathed in his first breath in heaven.

Bob was a native of Crocker, one of nine children born to Clyde Eugene and Bertha Jane (Singleton) Boulware on July 28, 1947.  Bob is survived by his wife of 56 years, Rose Mary (Preslar), his son Aaron (Julie) and their children Nicholas and Katherine, his daughter Carrie Weber (James) and their children Lorell and Noah Gerischer and Lexie and Melody Weber.  Also surviving are his brother Wayne (Judy) and sister Evelyn Hollis, and an extended family of nieces and nephews that he loved dearly and teased and aggravated throughout their entire childhoods. And adulthoods.

Preceding Bob in death were his parents, Clyde and Bertha Boulware, his sisters, Marie Proctor, Mabel Carney and his brothers, Larry, Don, Melvin and Gene.

Bob graduated from Crocker High School in 1965 and worked at Brown Shoe Co. in Dixon while he waited for Rose to graduate in 1966.  They were married on June 12, 1966 "when she was 17 and he was one year more."  Bob joined the Air Force and he and Rose spent the next four years in Texas and Nevada, with Bob serving one tour of duty in Okinawa while Rose lived with her grandparents in Kansas City.  Upon his discharge Bob used his educational benefits from the Air Force to earn his bachelor's degree in Springfield, MO at Missouri State University which was then Southwest Missouri State College.

After graduating they moved back to Crocker where their son Aaron was born in 1973 and their daughter Carrie in 1977.  Bob worked at American Family Insurance but decided his path in life was to teach.  He was a born teacher.  If Aaron or Carrie asked him what time it was they better be prepared to not only learn what time it was, but the history of timekeeping and how to make a watch.  Carrie has sweet memories of her dad rocking her and singing lullabies.  Come to find out her dad didn't actually know any lullabies but he improvised with "Delta Dawn," "Ghost Riders in the Sky," "Catfish John" and "Big, Bad Leroy Brown" among others.

Bob attended Drury University while working at E.D.P. Enterprises and raising his family.  He earned his Master's degrees in education and began his teaching career in Swedeborg.  He was there for five years as a teacher and three years as principal.  He then was Superintendent of Schools at Laquey for seven years.

He served eight years on the Crocker School Board and was a Deacon at First Baptist Church of Crocker.

He retired from his position as Superintendent at Laquey schools in 2011.  His retirement years were spent on his farm in Crocker enjoying the peace, beauty and serenity of the farm he has loved since moving there in 1977.  He was a loving, fun, companionable and dedicated grandfather and cherished the time spent with his grandchildren as they treasured the time spent with him. Rose also retired in 2011 and they had a well-earned time together of ease, contentment and joy with each other and with the families of their children.  Those were precious years, though they passed far too quickly.  But Bob's story has not ended.  He will live on in the memories and lives of his family and in the many lives he has touched through the years with his knowledge, wisdom, compassion, joy and love.