Francis "Mitch" Mitchell Boze

September 11, 1953 - October 17, 2023

Francis Mitchell "Mitch" Boze, a long time resident of Catheys Valley, passed away in Merced on October 17, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. He was 70.

Mitch - or Frank as his long time friends knew him - was born in Patterson on September 11, 1953 to his parents Frank Boze and Geraldine French. He was raised in Santa Cruz by Frank and his stepmother Marian Boze. He was on the wrestling team at Harbor High and graduated in 1971 . He enlisted in the US Army where he served in the Vietnam War as a medic and earned the National Defense Service Medal of Expert. Following the war, he was stationed in Germany and traveled around Europe. When he returned stateside, he studied political science at Cabrillo College and worked with his uncle Ed Boze in the security department at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. He was a member of the Army National Guard. Mitch had a long and varied career in the freight industry in Flagstaff, AZ; Reno, NV; and Merced, CA before finding his calling as a realtor.

In 1989 he married the love of his life, Cathi. He enjoyed traveling around the west in his RV, playing with his Boston Terriers, rooting for his sports teams, and working on projects on his family ranch. He loved science fiction (especially Star Trek), military history, and was an avid sportsman. He had an affinity for muscle cars which began in his youth and he loved attending classic rock concerts.

Mitch was preceded in death by his parents: Frank Boze and Geraldine French; his brother, Rick Hope; his sister, Laurie Boze; and his father and mother-in-law Art and Thena Mimler.

He is survived by his wife, Cathi, of Catheys Valley; his mother, Marian Chaney and her husband, Warren of Scotts Valley; his daughter, Tanya Hughes and her husband, Brian of Catheys Valley; his sister, Lynn Carey and her husband, Bruce of Newman; his sister, Patricia Murphy of Merced; and many nieces, nephews and beloved friends.

A funeral service is scheduled for October 30, 2023, at 10:30 am at Stratford Evans Funeral Home in Merced. A private burial will follow. The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in his name to Mercy Ships or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.stratfordevansfunerals.com for the Boze family.