William Bodine Obituary

William F. Bodine

WHITINGHAM, VT William F. Bodine, a resident of Ginny Morse Road in Whitingham, passed away peacefully June 27, 2010, at his home, surrounded by his family. Bill was born in Philadelphia, Penn., son of Cornelius and Dorothy Beckman Ferguson Bodine. He attended Chestnut Hill Academy, a local country day school in Philadelphia, where upon graduation he served as valedictorian and was awarded the Alumni Gold Medal for being the senior who best exemplified the characteristics of leadership, academic excellence, character and service to the school. He attended Amherst College four years, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa Society and graduated cum laude, after which he taught English at The Peddie School, Hightstown, N.J. and housemaster at The Principia, St. Louis, Mo., spending summers at Northwestern University to receive a Master's Degree in Education.

For nine years he was employed by The Aluminum Cooking Utensil Company to sell Wear-Ever products door-to-door and as District Manager to recruit and train people to sell Cutco Cutlery in rural Wisconsin and Syracuse, N.Y. The remainder of his life was devoted mainly to teaching English and mathematics to junior high students in Greenwich, Conn., supplementing his income by work at summer camps and selling Pitney Bowes mailing products and World Book encyclopedias direct to the consumer. He and his wife, Margie Medlin, adopted three boys, who attended schools mainly in Syracuse, N.Y., Chapman Falls, Ohio, and Darien and Greenwich, Conn. After retirement in 1979, he and his wife moved from Greenwich to Lake Placid, Fla., spending six months of each year in their home in Newfane, until Margie's death in 1988. He later married private piano teacher Dorothy Morrow, living year round for 10 years in Newfane. After Dorothy's death in 1999, he married Sylvia "Goldie" Kingsley of Whitingham and resided in Whitingham until his death.

The major thrust of his life was his religious conviction, his service in many posts in various local churches, and the spiritual healing made possible by prayer alone, based upon the understanding of the true nature of God as revealed through Christian Science. When he was a young child, his mother was healed by Christian Science treatment of a goiter condition that seriously affected her ability to breathe. As a result of this healing, he and his three siblings were given the opportunity to attend a Christian Science Sunday school, where he as a teenager became inspired to study and follow its teachings. This teaching immediately became the leading light of his life and led him consistently to believe he was one of the happiest people in the world.

Bill leaves his wife, Sylvia Bodine of Whitingham; three sons, Roger Bodine of Merrillville, Ind., Timothy Bodine of Billings, Minn., and James and his wife Karen Bodine of Bridgeport, Conn.; two stepdaughters, Sandra Kingsley and Connie Burton; two stepsons, Lee Kingsley and his wife, Deb, and Warren Kingsley and his wife, Tina; his brother-in-law, Ken Werner of Langhorne, Pa., and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his sisters, Barbara and Eleanor, his brother, Cornelius, his stepson, Cleon Kingsley, and his step-daughter, Nancy K. Smith.

MEMORIAL NOTICE: Memorial services for Bill will be held at a future date. There are no visiting hours. If friends desire, memorial gifts may be made to First Church of Christ, Scientist, Brattleboro, or Chestnut Hill Academy, c/o COVEY AND ALLEN FUNERAL HOME P.O. Box 215 Wilmington, VT 05363. To send the family personal email condolences please visit www.sheafuneralhomes.com. The family has entrusted arrangements to the care of Covey and Allen Funeral Home 44 East Main Street Wilmington, VT 05363.

Published by Brattleboro Reformer on Jul. 2, 2010.
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Memories and Condolences
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tim Bodine

July 15, 2010

My grandfather was a living and generous man. He cheered me on throughout my schooling. He will live on through all of his students and what he taught them. We will miss him dearly.

Rachel Bodine Touri

July 14, 2010

I was fortunate enough to meet my Grandfather on two occassions. I spoke to him more than that over the phone but not enough. What a great gentle man. I was blessed to have known him and will miss him greatly.

Roger L Bodine

July 13, 2010

My Dad was my best friend. Even through all my mistake and bad decisions, Dad never once condemed me or spoke a bad word to me. I'll always miss Dad but his memories and pictures I hold dear to me

tim bodine

July 12, 2010

tim bodine

July 12, 2010

Our Dad was a great teacher, but not only in the classroom. All his life he taught us boys how to walk as a man should walk. He loved us boys and went without many times to give to us 3 boys the things we needed. We will truely miss my dad.

Roger Bodine

July 12, 2010

Roger Bodine

July 12, 2010

Dad was my best friend and the kindness man that I have ever met. He was respectfull, honest and loving to all those that knew him. I miss Dad so much but have to go on and will always treasure his memories and the pictures that I have.

tim bodine

July 12, 2010

He was a great math teacher at Eastern Junior High, and he actually cared about his students. He took me and another girl aside and asked us if we would be friendly to a new girl in the class. That's a special kind of teacher.

July 5, 2010

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