Wilfred Bocage

Our beloved father, husband, brother, grandfather, great grandfather, cousin, uncle and friend, Wilfred "Bo" Bocage, age 74, passed away peacefully April 9, 2016 at his home surrounded by his family and friends after a long battle with cancer. He was born July 5, 1941 in New Orleans, LA to Wilfred and Delores Bocage. He graduated from St. Augustine High School, where he was a proud member of the “Marching 100” band. He received a Masters Degree in Organizational Communication from Brigham Young University and Bachelors of Science degrees in human relations and business administration from Westminster College. He enlisted in the Navy on June 21, 1960 as a medical corpsman. After the Navy, he began a career in human relations with Varian Systems. The company moved Bo and his family to Utah in 1977.

Bo was a devout Catholic and Eucharistic minister for Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church. He married the love of his life, Gail Theresa Duplessis, on March 16, 1961 in North Carolina. He had an incredible talent for cooking and enjoyed entertaining guest in his home. His greatest joy was his family and many dear friends. He leaves behind a cherished legacy of love, laughter, honesty, integrity and hard work.

He was extremely active in several volunteer organizations; proudly serving as Commander, Department of Nevada Disabled Americans Veterans, Vice President of the NAACP Salt Lake City Chapter, Utah Governors’ Black Advisory Council, Civil Rights Commission, American Legion, Knights of Columbus, and Knights of Peter Clavier. His passion for helping others achieve their goals brought him great joy. He taught an annual seminar on life skills for success at Xavier University for over 30 years.

He is survived by his wife Gail; children Avery (Amy), Keith (Jennifer), and Katrina, his siblings JoAnn, Michael, Claude, Grayling, and Lulu. He was a loving grandfather to Avery Jr., Andre, Brenden, Cameron, Caden, Hunter, Maya, and Halle and great granddaughter Nya. He was preceded in death by his parents and daughter Angela.

The family expresses heartfelt and loving thanks to the Knights of Columbus, Utah Veterans Administration Hospital, Sandy Rehabilitation Center, and Legacy Hospice.

A funeral Mass will be held on Monday, April 18, 2016 at 12:00 p.m. at the Saint Francis Xavier Catholic Church located at 4051 West 5215 South, Kearns, Utah.