Wilburn Anderson "W.A." Bozarth, 85, of Tuscola, Illinois, and formerly of McLeansboro, died at 3:45 a.m. Saturday, February 7, 1998, at The Carle Arbours in Savoy, Illinois.
The funeral was at 2:00 p.m. Monday, February 9, 1998, at the Tuscola United Methodist Church. The Rev. Michael F. Eischen officiated. Burial was in Tuscola Cemetery.
Mr. Bozarth was born on April 29, 1912, in McLeansboro, a son of Charles L. and Ida J. Miller Bozarth. He married Edith Mangis on May 9, 1937, in Mt. Vernon. She survives.
Besides his wife, he is also survived by three sons, Carl W. Bozarth of Decatur, John L. Bozarth of Panama City, Fla., and David M. Bozarth of Tuscola; a daughter, Nita R. Bridges of Seymour, Ind.; a brother, Charles M. Bozarth of Tuscola; a sister, Ruth Wood of Carbondale; and 11 grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by a daughter.
Mr. Bozarth served as a teacher, pricipal and superintendent of schools for 44 years, including four years in Hamilton County rural schools, six years in McLeansboro Grade School, two years as pricipal of Newman Grade School, and 32 years and county and regional superintendent of schools of Douglas County.
He was a well-known educator and civic leader.
"He was just top-notch. There was just nobody any better," said Rose Mary Shepherd of Charleston, former regional superintendent of schools for Coles, Edgar, Clark, Cumberland, Shelby and Moultrie counties. "He had the knowledge and ability to get things done," she said. "He was really a true educator."
Even when Mr. Bozarth retired, "He didn't really retire," Shepherd said. He became very active in the Illinois Retired Teachers Association and "truly made a difference," she said.
Mr. Bozarth received a bachelor's degree from Souther Illinois University and a master's degree from the University of Illinois. He also completed some work toward a doctoral degree.
He was a member of the Kappa Phi Kappa national education honor faternity and the American Association of School Administrators. He was president of the Illinois Association of County Superintendents of Schools in 1955, of the University of Illinois Dad's Association in 1962 and of the Illinois Retired Teachers Association in 1988 and 1989.
He helped organize Parkland Community College in Champaign in 1966 and served as chairman of the Douglas County Board of Review for four years.
Mr. Bozarth was a member of Tuscola United Methodist Church, where he served on the local, district and conference levels as a lay leader, a certified lay speaker and director of Methodist Men. He also was an active member of the Tuscola Rotary Club, serving as club president in 1952-53 and district governor in 1954-55. The club honored him and its first Paul Harris Fellow in April 1975. He also was active in many youth projects in the community, including Scouts on the local and district level, 4-H leader and Biddy Basketball coach.
He has been chairman for many years of the North Douglas County Chapter of the American Red Cross and helped organize the first blood bank in Tuscola. He was a 50-year member of the Newman Masonic Lodge, a member of the Tuscola Royal Arch Masons and a 50-year member of the Tuscola Order of Eastern Star 44 and the Danville Scottish Rite Bodies.
The Tuscola Chamber of Commerce named him Man of the Year in 1977.