Dear Bodine Family and Friends,

I am writing this email on behalf of my mother, my brothers and myself. As you all know, we lost our father on September 27th from many years of suffering from Lewy Body Dementia.  Lewy Body made its ugly appearance long before we ever realized what was happening to our father.  Our dad suffered from confusion, balance problems, rigid muscles, hallucinations, delusions, REM sleep disorder, nightmares and memory loss for many years and up until the end of his life. He was lost in a world that he nor my family understood. For many years, my mother, my brothers, my children, my nieces, nephews, and myself tried to help our beloved "Pappy".  Unfortunately there was nothing we could do to save him from this horrible disease and in February he went to live in the Velva Nursing Home. At the end of August, Dad stumbled, fell and broke his femur.  Even after having surgery, dad never understood that his leg was broken. On September 22nd, he was found unresponsive in the home.  He was then taken to the hospital and the decision was made to give him comfort care. Msgr. Joseph Senger was there on his last day to administer his Last Rites. Dad passed away peacefully on September 27th.  Our hearts are broken and we will forever miss the kind, gentle man that always put others before himself. We know that he is now in Heaven, there is no doubt.  He suffers no more and is free from all his pain and anguish.  He lives amongst the Angels and we feel his presence everyday.

Our father was cremated, something he agreed upon.  As a family we have decided to wait to have his memorial service at a time when all his children and grandchildren are able to attend. This is something my dad would have wanted. Dad was all about his family, especially his grandchildren, and nothing made him more happy than when we were all together. Christmas time was one of his favorites.  So, on December 22nd, when his grandchildren are all out for Christmas break, we will have our father's memorial service at St.Cecilia Catholic Church in Velva, ND.  His ashes will then be buried in the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery, near his father, mother and his sister Loretta. Family was everything to dad and we hope you can be there to celebrate his life. We understand that time of the year may not be good for many of you, but it is the best time for our family.  We want to spend this time together and remember the husband, the father and the Pappy that we all loved.

God Bless,

Fay and family

*My mother is now at my place in Missouri.  If you would like to send her a note, the address is:

Barbara Bodine

901 Kentucky Drive

Ashland, MO   65010

217-898-2175

*Memorial contributions may be made to:

Lewy Body Dementia Association

912 Killian Hill Road, S.W.

Lilburn, GA   30047

www.lbda.org

Robert Joseph Bodine, 80, passed away at Trinity Hospital, Minot, ND Thursday, September 27, 2018.

Bob was born January 3, 1938 on the family farm of Frank and Elizabeth (Grossman) Bodine in rural Voltaire, one of 18 siblings. He graduated from Velva High School and Minot State College. As a coach and teacher in Fessenden, ND, he was drafted into the US Army in 1963. While stationed at Fort Belvoir, Alexandria, Virginia, he met and married his wife of 53 years, Barbara Bivens Bodine, October 10, 1964.

After finishing his service, Bob and Barbara moved to the family farm in North Dakota where they lived until 1969, when they moved to Minot where Bob was head baseball and assistant basketball coach at Minot State University for several years, all the while continuing to farm. Over the next thirty years he continued teaching and coaching at Sawyer, ND, and Daniel High School, Clemson, SC, retiring there in 2000. That same year, they moved to a farmstead adjoining the homeplace in ND where Bob continued helping his boys with their farming until his declining health prevented it.

Bob was an outstanding athlete, excelling in football, baseball and basketball. He was among the first inductees in the Minot State Hall of Fame. Also, Minot baseball as a player/coach. He was a member of St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, Velva; Velva American Legion Post 39 and the Knights of Columbus.

Bob is survived by: his wife, Barbara of the home; daughter, Fay (James) Ashland, Mo; sons, Robert Joseph, Jr. (Brenda), Murphy, NC and Thomas Henry (Kristin), Sawyer, ND; eight grandchildren: Elizabeth and Audrey Lowry; Madison, Robert Jr. and Payton Bodine; Ryan, Caroline, and Hank Bodine (Kerry Wyche, mother); brothers,  Paul, (Debbie, deceased) Minot, ND, John (Betty), Barnsville, MN, Mark, Buffalo, WY, his twin, Ron (Carol), Bismarck, ND, Gerald (Peggy), Hazen, ND, Dale (Sandy), Annadale, MN, William (Kim), Velva, ND; sisters, Jeanette Warlick, (Wesley, deceased) Claremont, CA, Monica Goetze, (Floyd, deceased) Eugene, OR, Audrey (Tom) McLaughlin, Thousand Oaks, CA. and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Bob was preceded in death by : his parents, brothers, Francis (Virginia), Chuck (Donna), sisters, Viola (Phil) Prescott, Luella (Emmanuel) Fix, Delores Bernards, survived by husband, Bob, Loretta Effertz survived by husband, Pat and Patricia (Sr. Bernadette) Bodine.

Mass of Christian Burial : Saturday, December 22, 2018 at 11:00 a.m. in St. Cecilia's Catholic Church, Velva.

Vigil Prayer Service : Friday, December 21, 2018 at 6:00 p.m. in the church

Visitation: Friday, December 21, 2018 from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. in the church

Interment: Holy Cross Cemetery, Velva

Post Service Gathering : Following the Services on Saturday, all are invited to join the family for a gathering at the Grand International Hotel in Minot beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Memorials are preferred to Souris Valley Care Center, Velva, ND or Lewy Body Dementia Assoc., 912 Killian Hill Rd SW, Lilburn, GA 30047  or online at www.lbda.org

Bodine Flower Pictures