Donald Eugene Bossart

Don passed away on July 8, 2023 at 91 years old. Don was born and raised in Latrobe, Pennsylvania to Dana Eugene and Eva Mabel Crawford Bossart. Don went to grade school at the second ward school and then on to high school in Latrobe. He graduated from high school in 1950. While in high school, he won the PIAA tennis doubles championship in his junior year and the PIAA singles tennis championship in his senior year. He also played varsity basketball.

Don went on to college at Harvard University majoring in economics and graduated in 1954. He was a member of the Harvard University N.E. championship tennis team.

Don went into the Methodist ministry by entering Boston University School of Theology and graduated in 1957 with an STB (MA). He was inducted into the Pittsburgh Conference of the Methodist Church. He continued his education by entering the PhD program at BU.

Don married Marion Gay Kent on June 9, 1957 in Medford, Oregon. They moved to Amherst, Massachusetts where Don was campus minister at the Wesley Foundation for the four colleges in the area. While in Amherst, two children, Kent Donald and Alan Dana, were born.  Don finished his PhD in 1963 and that year the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin where Don became campus minister for the University of Wisconsin. Their third child, Dona Gay, was born there.

Don’s next calling was for the campus ministry at the Wesley Foundation at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana from 1966-1970. In 1970, Don was called to the University of Denver for the Wesley Foundation. In 1974 he then joined The Iliff School of Theology as faculty administrator and later Assistant then Associate Professor of Interpersonal Ministry. Don retired from Iliff in 1997 and he and Gay stayed in Denver to enjoy retirement.

Don sang in church choirs as a tenor his whole life including singing in the Colorado Symphony Choir. He also continued his love of tennis playing until he was 85 years old. He and Gay loved the Colorado mountains and they traveled the world together. Don and Gay loved being grandparents. They (“Papa” and “Baba”) attended many school, sporting and scouting activities enjoying all of them!  

Don is survived by Gay, his wife of 66 years, his three children Kent (Jackie), Alan (Kim), Dona (Matthew, deceased). He is also survived by his grandchildren: from Kent and Jackie, Douglas (Chloe) and Hope; from Alan and Kim, Kyle, Corey (Grace, and great grandson Stetson) and CJ; from Dona and Matt, Kenneth and John. Don is also survived by his nephew Roger Bossart (Della) and nephew Keith Mandic (Chris) and Jennifer Bossart (wife of nephew Greg, deceased).

A funeral service for Don will be held Saturday, August 5^th at 10:00 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 1820 Broadway, Denver. Reception to follow.