William F. Boswell

William Floyd Boswell, 68, lost his fight with cancer on Easter Sunday, March 27, 2016. He passed away peacefully and free of pain surrounded by loved ones in his Rochester Hills home. Bill was born in Petoskey on June 10, 1947 to loving parents Greg and Betty to complete the family of five with two older sisters, Sandy and Sue. Growing up, Bill played tennis and golf, was a member of the science club, and “performed” in plays. He also took up an interest in photography that stayed with him the rest of his life. He enjoyed playing the saxophone in the school band and getting into mischief with his life-long best friend, Jim Cihak. Bill graduated from East Jordan High School and went on to earn degrees in Political Science and English from Central Michigan University. For two years following college, he taught English as a second language in Tehran, Iran. Bill married Connie Caldwell, his wife of 21 years, in 1976, and they had two children: Josh in 1977 and Jackie in 1982. As a father, Bill was ever patient, always the voice of reason, and worked to instill his love of learning in his children. He was incredibly supportive in all of his children’s endeavors and made many things possible through his sacrifices and support. Bill acted as a purchasing manager for Chrysler and Elicon before filling a similar position at Solaronics, Inc. in Rochester. Bill was also a member of the Rochester Hills Planning Commission from 1991 until his death in 2016. The day before he passed, Bill was presented with a plaque for his 25 years of service. He worked tirelessly to make the City of Rochester Hills a great place to raise his family. Bill had a passion for reading, number puzzles, and crossword puzzles. He loved playing cribbage with family and spending time at his cabin on the Au Sable River with his children, grandchildren, friends, and dog Ursa. Bill is survived by son Josh Boswell (Kristi), daughter Jackie Rank (Brandon), grandchildren Riley and Finn Rank, ex-wife Connie Boswell, partner Elaine Keller, sister Sandy Johnson (Richard Eaton), sister Sue Kamradt (Charlie), and Elaine’s children Lesley, Aaron, and Kristen. Bill is predeceased by his father in 2002, his mother in 2009, and Elaine’s son Roger in 2010.