Phillip “PJ” John Bogden Jr., 54 of Rices Landing, entered the world with bright blue eyes and an infectious smile on May 6, 1972, passed away at home on May 26, 2026, leaving behind a lifetime of laughter, stories, and probably a few deer that finally get a break from being part of his hunting tales.
PJ was the kind of man who never met a stranger, just people who hadn’t become his friend yet. With a smile permanently installed on his face and a personality bigger than life itself, he could talk to anyone about anything and somehow leave them laughing by the end of the conversation.
PJ loved the outdoors. If he wasn’t hunting, he was probably talking about hunting. But above all else, the true loves of his life were his dogs; Bo, Bo 2.0, and Buck, who undoubtedly received better treatment than most humans. As well as his canine siblings, Ellie Mae, Marty, and Lola.
Though PJ never had children of his own, his dogs were as close as he would ever get to being a parent, and anyone who knew him understood they meant absolutely everything to him.
As owner of Mid-Western Choice Meat Company, PJ spent years knocking door to door selling food, though anyone who knew him understood he was really in the business of collecting friends. His customers quickly became family because PJ had a gift, he could sweet talk his way into any conversation, any home, and just about any deal. Nobody could say no to him for long, especially once he got to smiling.
Left to cherish his memory are his loving mother, Elaine Rosa Bogden of Rices Landing; his sisters, Susan (Ryan) Conklin of Carmichaels and Sandra Bogden of St. Pete Beach, FL; two nieces, Emily Conklin, and Abigail Conklin (who was his proud Godchild); and a great-niece, Amelia Stillio.
He now joins his father, Phillip J. Bogden, undoubtedly somewhere beyond this world where the stories are endless and the laughter never fades.
PJ will be remembered for his humor, his kindness, his endless stories, and the fact that nobody ever heard him say a bad word about anyone. He lived simply: love your family, love your dogs, enjoy the outdoors, and never pass up a chance to make someone laugh.
Family and friends will be received on Monday, June 1, 2026, from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm in the Behm Funeral Homes, 1477 Jefferson Rd., Jefferson, PA 15344, Gregory P. Rohanna, supervisor, where a Blessing Service will be held on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, followed a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am at St. Hugh Worship site of St. Matthias Parish, 408 S. Eighty-eight Rd., Carmichaels, PA 15320, with Fr. Tom Lewandowski as celebrant. Interment will follow in St. Mary’s Cemetery, Crucible. Condolences may be expressed online at www.behm-funeralhomes.com.
