Carl Boehning

Carl Odell Boehning, 89, passed away at 5:20 AM on Sunday, October 9, 2022 at the Foxwood Springs Senior Living facility in Raymore, Missouri. Visitation and Celebration of Life will be held Saturday, October 15, 2022 from 1 – 3pm at the Memorial Park Funeral Home located in Amarillo, Texas. Graveside services and burial will be held the same day at 3:30 pm at the Dreamland Cemetery near Canyon, Texas.

Carl was born on November 21, 1932, in Canyon, Texas, to the late Alvin Carl Boehning and Mildred Rose Niebel.

Carl attended Amarillo High School where he lettered in Track. On July 7, 1953, he married the love of his life, Flora Virginia Cokendolpher. They were married inside the First Baptist Church located in Goodlett, Texas where Rev. William T. Goodman, grandfather of the bride, performed the marriage ceremony. Carl enlisted and served in the Navy from 1953 to 1957. During 1954 and 1955 he participated in Operation “Passage to Freedom” where the Navy assisted in transporting 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the French Army from communist North Vietnam to non-communist South Vietnam. He finished his active-duty service as a Petty Officer Second Class Radio Operator on the USS Montrose (APA-212).

Carl and Virginia moved from Amarillo, Texas to El Paso, Texas in early October, 1960. Carl began his career as an El Paso Firefighter on October 4, 1960 while his wife Virginia worked as an Office Manager for Beneficial Finance. On May 12, 1975, Carl was one of 16 firefighters from the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) Local 51 that graduated from the El Paso Community College with an Associate Degree in Fire Technology. After completing almost 27 years of service, Carl retired as Captain of Station 16 in April, 1986. After he retired from the Fire Department, Carl and Virginia opened and operated the Pump 16 Bar in El Paso, Texas from 1986 until 1992. They created many happy memories while operating the bar. After selling the bar, they then traveled the country in their camping trailer and RV.

Carl and Virginia continued to live in El Paso until September, 2015 when they decided to move into an Independent Living home at the Foxwood Springs Senior Living facility in Raymore, Missouri. Unfortunately, in April, 2018 Virginia developed symptoms of Vascular Dementia and had to be moved into the Memory Care Ward at Foxwood Springs. Carl later moved into the Assisted Living Ward at Foxwood Springs in June, 2018. Throughout the time Virginia stayed in the Memory Care Ward, Carl visited her almost every morning. Virginia passed away on February 17, 2020.

Carl is survived by his four children, Carl Wayne and his wife Annette of Raymore, Missouri, Danny Lee and his wife Debra of Suffolk, Virginia, Steve Odell of Prescott, Arizona, and by his daughter Gina Marie and her husband Randy Garrison of Erda, Utah. Carl was preceded in death by his wife, parents, sister, a grandson and a great-grandson. He leaves behind 9 grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren.