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Boley, Robert W.
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Biogra phical Information fo r A rchives
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To all Ministers:
complete this form for your file at the Archives. This will
ensure that you have accurate, up-to-date information in your file. Please attach a
current photo if you have one. Thank you for your cooperation.
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Robert W. Boley 1161
AUTOBIOGRAPH Y: I was born in Normal, Illinois, on July 6, 1923, to Arthur and Gail Boley;
was raised in a Chri stian home in Kewa nee, Ill inois, with three siblings. Schooling included
Ill inois State U niversi ty, Cornell College, A.B.,
Boston University, MDiv., and Doctor of
M in istry from Ham a School of Theology and the
Ohio Theological Consortium.
Th ree years were spent in the U.S. Army during
WW 2, with 22 months in the Pacific theat re.
This was an important period in my li fe and influenced me greatly in subsequent years.
Emil y McRae of Stoneham, Massachusetts, and
I were married in 19SO. We have four children:
Arthur, Southfie ld; John, G rand Ra pids; Sandra
Kitts, Grand Blanc; W ill iam, Ann Arbor, and at this point, two grandchildren.
Ordained in the Central Illinois Con ference by Bishops Baker and McGee, churches
served since 1946 are: Monmouth-Baldwi n, Iowa; Youth Director, W inthrop,
Massachusetts; Assumption, Illinois; Champaign, Illi nois, Associate; Strathmoor, Detroi t,
Associate; Beverly Hi lls, Birmingham; Redford, Detroit; Ad rian, First; and Grosse Pointe.
TESTIMONIAL: In late 1958 Bob and Emily Boley, and Ru th an d I found o urselves
as new Associate Pastors in two of Detroi t's strong Methodist ~hurc hes-th ey at
Strathmoor and we at M etropolitan. They had arrived in june, we arrived in November.
Both couples had come from Illinois-they from Centra l, we from Northern Illinois.
Each of our families had four child ren.
W ith these many things in common, we quickly developed a friendship we have
cherished across the years. Bob and I always roomed together a~ Annual Conference
until the yea r the Bishop appointed him to Adrian. Then, for some strange reason,
he chose to change roommates.
Across the years we have laughed and complained together. I have always respected
Bob for his high intellectual interests and academic accomplishments. He is a very
well read person who has greatly enriched his ministry by hi s dil igence in keeping
abreast with the latest books.
Bob has made a w ide va riety o f significant contributions to the leadership of the Annual Conference, bu t most of all, he has been a pastor par excellence. His w itness
has been both intellectually sound and firmly focused in commitment to the person
of jesus Christ.
Ruth and I w ish hi m and Emil y a ri ch and fulfilling retirement as they continue their
wi tness in ministry in different ways.
Robert L.S. Brown
The mission field fascinated me w hile in the Far East, and duri ng that time I decided
to enter the ministry. I have always seen myself as a pastor of a local ch urch and had
no other ambition. It has been extreme ly good to us, and has been instrumental in
bei ng a great and fulfilling challenge. W hat a privilege it has been to serve the Lord
and the United M ethodist Church these forty years! I owe much to my wife, Emi ly.for her support and coo peration and fo r her fin e involvement in the Ch risti an cause.
We have known so many wonderful Christian people these many years.
Interests and hobbies have been o ur much travel abroad, leading to urs to the holy
lands and to Europe, China, Austra lia, etc; and reading, bridge, golf, tennis, etc.
We wi ll be living in Adria n and w ill contin ue to develop new interests and hope to
enjoy a mo re leisurely life for the next forty years.
.J
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BAPTIZE HANNAH GRACE BOLEY
On Palm Sunday, Mar. 27, little Hannah Grace Boley was baptized
by her grandfather, Dr. Robert W. Boley, associate pastor at Adrian
First UMC. Hannah's father is the Rev. John W. Boley, pastor
of the Mancelona-Elba churches in the West Michigan Conference.
Hannah is pictured here with her mother, Diane, her father, and
grandfather. She has two brothers, ages nine and seven. She is now
six months old and doing very well, after spending her first three
months of life in the neo-natal department of Butterworth Hospital in Grand R apids. She was born with an intestinal obstruction,
and at the age of two days, and also five weeks, had two major sur. gei:ies. No Cistic Fibrosis, which sometimes follow~, has appeared.
Dr. Robert W. Boley
CHELSEA- Dr.
Robert W. Boley, age 91,
formerly of Adrian, passed
away Saturday, Jan. 31,
2015, at Chelsea Retirement Communities.
He was born July 6,
1923, in Normal, Ill., to
Arthur W. and Gail
(Washburn) Boley. Bob
grew up in Kewanee, Ill.,
in a loving family and
cherished his Midwestern
roots.
Bob was married to
Emily McRae on Aug. 26,
1950, at the Boston University Marsh Chapel, and
1
they were blessed with
· more than 58 years
together. Emily preceded
him in death in 2009.
Dr. Boley attended Illinois State University prior
to being drafted into the
U.S. Army in World War
II. While in the Army, he
served in the Pacific as an
amphibious engineer and
was training for the inva- '
sion of Japan. After the
war, Bob graduated from
Cornell College in Iowa
and then attended seminary at Boston University
School ofTheology. He
obtained a Doctor of Ministry from Hamma
Theological Seminary.
As a United Methodist
minister, Bob pastored
churches in Assumption,
Illinois and Champaign,
Ill., before moving to
Michigan. He served at
Strathmore UMC, was
founding pastor of Beverly
Hills UMC, and senior
pastor of Redford UMC
before becoming the senior pastor of the Adrian
First United Methodist
Church. His final appointment was as senior pastor
of Grosse Pointe UMC.
Upon retirement, Dr.
Boley returned to Adrian,
serving at Adrian First
United Methodist Church
as pastor emeritus.
Bob loved his faith and
the Church and believed
in changing the world
through love, kindness
and service - one person
at a time. To use one of his
own favorite phrases Bob was "a gentleman and
a scholar," who had a great
Dr. Robert W. Boley
sense of humor and loved
to sing.
He is survived by four
children, Art (Roseanne)
Boley of Farmington Hills;
the Rev. John (Diane)
Boley of Kalamazoo;
Sandy (James) Kitts of
Flushing and Bill Boley of
Plymouth; nine grandchildren, Tomek (Hannah),
Aldona, Veronika, Robert
(Emma), Ian (Jessica),
Hannah, Mary, Samuel
and Jacinda; and three
great-grandchildren, Ivan,
Jasper and William; and a
sister, Martha Olin of
Alexis, Ill.; and many
nieces and nephews. He is
also survived by his special
friend, Mary McDonald,
of Champaign, Ill.
In addition to his wife,
Emily, he was preceded in
death by his siblings, Marjorie Piper and John
Boley.
- Funeral services will
take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015, at the
Adrian First United
Methodist Church with
the Revs. Drew Hart and
Chris Brundage officiating. Friends may visit the
family at Wagley Funeral
Home from 4 to 8 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 6, 2015.
Contributions in memory of Dr. Boley may be
made to Adrian First
United Methodist Church
and Chelsea Retirement
Communities. Online condolences and memories
may be shared at
www.WagleyFuneral
Home.com.
W
W~LEY
F UNE R A L
B O~
E
In Memory of
f£mif:J !Jvf. r:Bo [ey
THE EIGHT BEATITUDES OF JESUS
In Memory Of
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure of heart,
for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of
righteousness,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
Gospel of St. Matthew 5:3-10
Born
July 8, 1925
Melrose, Massachusetts
Entered Into Rest
August 25, 2009
Chelsea, Michigan
Memorial Service
Saturday, August 29, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
Chelsea Retirement Community
Chelsea, Michigan
Officiating
Chaplin Beth Foster
Final Place of Rest
First United Methodist Church Memorial Garden
Adrian, Michigan
Boley, Robert W.