JOHN CHARLES BOEHM

1918-2020

He could transform the Rice parking lot into the Hindu Kush, a day sail on Galveston Bay into a search for the Northwest Passage, and the top of the stairs into a dais from which he would proclaim his descent as “El Sandor the Magnificent, King of the Wild Klabonzoes.”

Born in St. Cloud, Minnesota during one global pandemic, he passed away in the midst of another this past Father’s Day, June 21st, from unrelated causes.

As with most of his generation, his life was heavily shaped by the Great Depression and World War II. After graduating from St. Cloud State Teacher’s College in 1939 and teaching in Tracy Minnesota, he moved to Portland Oregon, where he worked in the shipyards before being called to serve in 1942. Fate as well as fortitude led him from the Field Artillery to Oregon State University (B.S./ Engineering) to the 29th Engineer Topographic Battalion, and ultimately to Aberdeen Proving Ground in Maryland, where he was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.

He was still in uniform when he met his future wife Jean Justice on a blind date, during which the two English majors walked along Virginia Beach and talked about poetry …

After his discharge, he took advantage of the GI Bill and obtained his M.

Eng. degree at Yale. This led to employment at Fish Engineering and ultimately at Houston’s Transcontinental Gas Pipeline. There his responsibilities grew as the company expanded, and he eventually became an executive vice president in charge of operations. After retirement he and Jean spent a year in France. They would continue to travel widely well into their 80s.

Back home in Houston he turned his drafting talents to artistic pursuits, especially printmaking and watercolors, and his creations began to be featured in juried shows. He also composed a number of artists’ books, such as The Art of Punctuation. (“The period is a moral point—it tells you when to stop.”)

Having grown up in hard times following the early loss of his father, he felt an abiding appreciation for all who helped him in his youth. Later in life he was able to repay their generosity through his steadfast support of any number of charitable, educational, and artistic institutions.

He found great enjoyment in everyday activities: meals were a celebration, and indispensable daily rituals included classical music, a vermouth aperitif (icy cold and extra dry), and discovering a new poem or re-reading a familiar one.

His wide range of vocations and avocations hint at the richness of his life, but they cannot come close to conveying the breadth of his interests, the depth of his compassion, his generosity of spirit, his sparkling wit and oft-flippant playfulness, and that combination of kindness and humility that makes a person truly great.

Preceded in death by his parents Dr. John C. Boehm and Louisa M. Boehm, his sister Mildred, and his wife of sixty-seven years Jean Justice Boehm, he is survived by children John, Philip and Barbara, five grandchildren, and any number of astonished pharmacists, clerks, and tellers who upon hearing his date of birth inevitably asked “what’s your secret?” – to which he would invariably reply: “red wine.”

As rich as his life was, ours was made even richer by his presence, and we miss him deeply. Please raise a glass in his memory. ***********************

The family would like to thank all who helped care for him in recent months, particularly Elsa Duarte Aspera and the doctors, nurses and caregivers at Houston Methodist Hospital and Bayou Manor. A memorial service will be held at some future date when it is safe to convene. In lieu of flowers please consider donating to the Christian Community Service Center (https://www. ccschouston.org), the Houston Food Bank (https://www. houstonfoodbank.org), or the ACLU Foundation of Texas (https://action.aclu.org/give/ tribute-aclu-tx).