Funeral arrangements announced for former Keystone president Dr. Edward G. Boehm, Jr.
Dr. Edward G. “Ned” Boehm, Jr., age 77, devoted husband of nearly 53 years to Regina Evans Boehm, died peacefully in Richmond, Virginia on June 23, 2019 from complications related to Lewy body dementia. He was the beloved father of Evan Arnold and his wife Melissa Boehm of Billings, Montana and Andrew Edward and his wife Sarah Beckett Boehm of Richmond, Virginia and cherished Granddad to Grant Edward Boehm and Catherine Beckett Boehm of Richmond, Virginia. He was extremely proud of his children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren and taught them that only through love for each other, family, and genuine friends can your life truly be filled with joy and happiness.
Ned loved telling stories about growing up on Pearson Street in Kensington, Maryland with his brother Albert (Marilyn) Boehm and his sisters Margaret (Joseph) Boehm Podlesny, Suzanne (Scott) Boehm Olofson, Barbara (Lawrence) Boehm Barnett, Marybeth (John) MacNamee Tschetter, and Diana (Art) MacNamee Gold. He also loved going to Penn State football games and visiting with his sisters-in-law Relda (Edward) Newlin and Dianellen Evans. Ned was preceded in death by his parents Edward and Catherine Boehm, his brothers-in-law Roger Evans and Richard Evans, and his sister-in-law Randi Evans. Ned’s nieces, nephews, cousins, and extended family all benefited from his wit, wisdom, and love. At every family event, he could be found giving a toast, dancing the polka, or handing out college t-shirts.
Ned received his bachelor of science degree in secondary physical education from Frostburg State University where he lettered in soccer and track and was elected student body president his sophomore, junior, and senior year. A proud member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Ned and his longtime college friends still gathered every year for an annual crab feast in Maryland. Ned also earned a master’s degree in education and a doctorate in higher education from American University.
Ned’s first love was his family, but ice cream, chocolate, and higher education came in a close tie for second. He started his career in higher education in 1968 at American University, coaching soccer and holding several positions, including Director of University Development, Dean of Student Development, Associate Dean/Director of Admissions and Instructor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Ned loved reminiscing about his days as a coach and kept in touch with his former soccer players from American. In 1979, Ned and his family moved from Maryland to Fort Worth, Texas where Ned became the Dean of Admissions and an Assistant Professor of Education at Texas Christian University. At TCU, Ned later served as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. He was also a trustee on the National College Board, where he worked with top educators in every region of the country to identify and remove barriers to higher education.
In 1989, Ned accepted the position of Senior Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Marshall University and the family moved to Huntington, West Virginia. While not from there, Ned was a true Huntingtonian and bled green during his tenure at Marshall. Through Ned’s leadership, Marshall received a prestigious Circle of Excellence Award in Educational Fund Raising from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education. He also played a major role in many community and professional organizations in Huntington, including the president of the United Way of the River Cities, vice president of Boys and Girls Clubs of Huntington-Ironton, and as a member of the Boy Scouts of America’s Tri-State Area Council, the Huntington Area Chamber of Commerce and the Huntington Rotary Club. Ned received an honorary degree from Marshall and before he left Huntington, the Governor of West Virginia named Ned a “Distinguished West Virginian.”
In 1995, Ned found his calling as the President of Keystone College in La Plume, Pennsylvania. When he arrived on campus, they wanted to hold an inaugural event in his honor, but Ned told them to wait and see if he was worth celebrating—and he was. Under his leadership, Keystone became a baccalaureate college and a Division III member of the National College Athletic Association. While he would readily profess it was a team effort, Ned led the charge. He often rode his bike to work, hiked across the local stream to go fishing (and sneak a cigar), and called out to students by name as they strolled through campus. His Keystone legacy lives on not only through the programs he helped develop, but also through Boehm Field and the Boehm Residence Hall.
While at Keystone, Ned also held several community leadership positions, including president of the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and he served on the United Way of Lackawanna County Board of Directors, as a board member of the Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce, the Northeast Regional Cancer Institute Advisory Board, and the Tyler Memorial Hospital, among many others. Ned and Regina also jointly received the B’nai B’rith Amos Lodge No. 136 Americanism Award. Ned concluded his tenure as the ninth President of Keystone College in June 2013 and served as President Emeritus until 2014. Upon his retirement, Ned and Regina relocated to Richmond, Virginia to spend more time with their grandchildren.
The family would like to thank Ned’s caregiver Mildred Eldridge and the doctors and staff at Our Lady of Hope Health Center for all of the loving care and support they provided.
To know Ned was to love him. He will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts.
The family will receive friends at Bliley’s Funeral Home, 8510 Staples Mill Road, Richmond, Virginia on July 23, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. and again at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, 4491 Springfield Road, Glen Allen, Virginia on July 24, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. A funeral mass will be celebrated at St. Michael on July 24, 2019 at 12:00 p.m. Inurnment and a celebration of life will immediately follow at St. Michael.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the Edward and Regina Boehm Scholarship, Keystone College, Institutional Advancement Department, One College Green, P.O. Box 50, La Plume, Pennsylvania 18440.
Online condolences may be shared with the family at https://www.blileyfuneralhomes.com.
