Obit: Bohn, Walter L. (1928 – 2022)

Transcriber: Stan

Surnames: Bohn, Harper, Kaczor

----Source: THORP COURIER 02 Feb 2022

Bohn, Walter L. (2 May 1928 – 6 Jan 2022)

Walter Laurence Bohn was born in Sheboygan, Wisconsin to Walter P. and Jessie (Harper) Bohn on May 2, 1928. He died in Bartlesville, Oklahoma on January 6, 2022.

Walt's first five years were spent in Sheboygan. His parents then moved the family to a farm one mile south of Thorp, Wisconsin. He attended Breezy Hill School during his grade school years and then Thorp High School.

After graduation in 1946, he and six classmates joined the Air Force. On December 27, 1947, he married Betty Kaczor in Thorp, Wisconsin. For the next 23 years, Walt and Betty traveled the world, with Walt serving on bases in Illinois, Japan, New Mexico, Maine, Morocco, New Hampshire, Labrador and California. During his New Mexico assignment, their daughter, Sandra, was born. He retired from the Air Force at March Air Force Base, in California, in August of 1970, taking a position with the Superior Court System of Riverside County, In Indio, California. He retired from that position in December of 1990.

In 1972, Walt took a ride around the block on Sandy's bicycle and a passion for bike riding was born which would last for almost the rest of his life. He bought his own 10- speed bicycle, put his car in the garage and rode his bike to work, rain or shine. On weekend pleasure rides, he met other bike riders, and they formed a group who met every Saturday morning. They rode all over the environs of Indio, the only criterion being that each ride must encompass 100 miles. Other rides were farther afield - a trip to Colorado to ride up Pike's Peak and another to Oregon to ride around Crater Lake and the Cascade Mountain range. While continuing his pleasure riding, Walt also became an active participant in the National Senior Games, riding competitively. He qualified for multiple years to ride in the National Senior Olympic games, racing in Baton Rouge, LA., Pittsburg, PA., and Virginia Beach, VA.

After his permanent retirement in 1990, Walt and Betty traveled for several years, finally purchasing a home in Bartlesville, Oklahoma to be near their daughter, Sandra, her husband, Philip, and grandson, Greg. Walt continued to ride his bike in Oklahoma, participating for many years in the OK Freewheel, a weeklong bicycle tour across the state of Oklahoma. While he continued to ride into his late 80's, he decided that riding around his own neighborhood was a safer idea than contending with other road traffic.

Walt is survived by his wife, Betty, of the home, daughter, Sandra, and husband Philip of Bartlesville, and grandson, Gregory of Oklahoma City

He was laid to rest in the columbarium of First Church in Bartlesville, OK.