Having never met a stranger or being one to pass up an opportunity or chocolate, Hilda was a joy to be around with an enthusiasm for life and friends and a positive attitude. She will truly be missed.
Surviving are one daughter, Paula (Stephen) Reckley, in Elmhurst, Il; and one son, David (Patty) Seybert, in Fort Wayne, Indiana. She is also survived by 5 grandchildren, Sara (Matt) and Tom (Meg) in Chicago, Ehren (Claire) in San Francisco, Andrew in Ft. Wayne, and Jon (Adrianna) in Fort Wayne. She had 9 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Paul; and granddaughter, Courtney.
A memorial service will be held at a later date for family and friends. At her request, memorials can be made to the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital or Mathew 25 Clinic in Fort Wayne.
Donald P. Bowser, 91, of Fort Wayne, IN, passed away Sunday, March 5th at Heritage Pointe of Fort Wayne. Born in rural Dekalb County on January 11, 1932, Don was the son of Ivan C. Jr. and Ruth A. (Cook) Bowser. Don graduated from South Side High School in 1950, attended Indiana University for three years and served in the U.S. Army for two years. He worked at Fort Wayne National Bank for almost 50 years. Don married Ruth E. Holzworth in 1960. She preceded him in death in 2015. Don loved his family, especially his grandkids. He never met a stranger. He was the most patient, caring person you could ever meet.
Don is survived by a daughter, Ellen (Mark) Frazier and a son Mark (Giselle) Bowser, Sr.; five grandchildren, Deserae (Tyler) Beiswenger, Mark (Makayla) Bowser, Jr., Jay (Ashlyn) Frazier, Justin Frazier and Jessica (Alex) Zurbrugg; 11 great-grandchildren, Osiris and Orion Beiswenger, Atticus, Ariella and Elijah Bowser, Ava Sofia, Aden, Avery and Aundrea Frazier and Ronnie and Lane Zurbrugg. Don loved his flannel shirts. Please join us in wearing your favorite flannel.
Funeral service Thursday, March 16, 2023 at 1:30 pm with visitation 2 hours prior at D.O. McComb & Sons Funeral Home – Pine Valley located at 1320 E. Dupont Rd. Burial at Perry Township Cemetery in Huntertown, IN. Memorials may be made Ronald McDonald House. To sign the online guestbook go to www.mccombandsons.com
Remington “Rem” A. Johnston III passed away in hospice care on February 18, 2023.
Born August 5, 1933 in Ossian, Indiana, he was the son of Remington and Elizabeth “Betty” Johnston. He graduated from P.A. Allen High School in Bluffton, Indiana in 1951. Following in the footsteps of his father (class of 1927) and grandfather (class of 1901), he graduated from Wabash College in Crawfordsville in 1955. He majored in political science and was a proud member of Sigma Chi fraternity. A “life-loyal Sig” – loyal and dedicated to generations of his brothers — he and was awarded the Order of Constantine in 2022, the fraternity’s highest honor.
He earned a degree in printing from Carnegie Mellon University and began a half-century career in the printing business. He spent eight years with Harris-Seybold Printing Machinery Company in Dallas, before returning to Bluffton in 1964 to lead his family’s business, the Rem Johnston Printing Company.
Upon returning to Indiana, Rem became one of the most significant alumni volunteers in the history of Wabash College. He was a prolific recruiter, led the alumni association, assisted in organizing alumni events, and was particularly close to the Wabash athletic department. He traveled with the college’s football, track, and golf teams, among others, which earned him the nickname “Big Cookie” because he always made sure student athletes had snacks while traveling to athletic competitions – including big cookies from a Bluffton bakery. He attended every Wabash football game, home and away, from 1970 through 1995 except for a single game in 1970 when his father died. Rem was exceptionally proud of his involvement with Wabash’s 1977 football team, which played in the national championship game, the 1982 basketball team that won the national title, and the undefeated 1983 football team.
Rem received the highest honors bestowed by Wabash College. The National Association of Wabash Men (NAWM) honored him with the Alumni Award of Merit in 1971, making him the youngest person ever to receive the award. For his support of Wabash’s athletic teams, he was inducted into the college’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 1997. He served several terms on the Board of Directors of the NAWM and served a term on the Wabash College Board of Trustees. In 2018, Wabash President Gregory Hess awarded him an honorary doctorate, the same year the College named the campus gateway in his honor.
He received a Sagamore of the Wabash from Governor Robert Orr in 1983. In addition to his passion for all-things Wabash, Rem was active in First Presbyterian Church, where he served as a youth-group leader and on the board of the church Foundation. He volunteered as a docent at the Lincoln Museum and as a teacher with the Literacy Alliance in Fort Wayne. He was an avid golfer and bridge player, a member of the Orchard Ridge Country Club in Fort Wayne, and loved opera, classical music, and theater.
Rem had a passion for travel and especially enjoyed his trips to Mexico and Spain. He was also an energetic gardener and liked browsing antique stores. Perhaps more than anything, Rem will be remembered for introducing literally hundreds of Wabash students to new and interesting food, agreeing to pick up the tab if the students chose something from the menu they had never eaten. The relationships he formed with Wabash men evolved throughout their lives with Rem a constant source of wise counsel, celebratory hugs, and life guidance.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at First Presbyterian Church at a date to be determined.
Friends can send online condolences to the family at www.thomarich.com
Gary Lee Bock, 70, passed away February 1, 2023, at his home in Columbia City, IN, surrounded by his family. He was born May 20, 1952, in Fort Wayne, IN, the son of the late Walter and Ruth Irene Bock. Gary graduated from South Side High School in 1971. He was a lumber purchasing agent at the Do It Best Corporate Headquarters for 25 years and retired March 2018. He was a member of Indiana National Wild Turkey Federation. Gary was an avid turkey hunter, enjoyed fishing and boating.
He is survived by his loving wife, Diane Bock of Columbia City, IN; son Matt (Richelle) Bock of Churubusco, IN; daughters, Heather (Karl) Klemm of Columbia, City, IN; Ashley (Brice) Schlosser of Fort Wayne, IN; grandchildren, Jeremiah, Taylor, Alayna Bock and Kage Klemm.