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In Passing Albert Boczar - South Plainfield, New Jersey passed at age 92.
In Passing Albert Boczar - South Plainfield, New Jersey passed at age 92. In Passing
| In Passing |
| Albert Boczar - South Plainfield, New Jersey passed at age 92. |
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| By Joan DuBois | |
| June 4, 2009 | |
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Albert Boczar March 25, 1917 – June 1, 2009 WWII Veteran, Chess Player, Family Man, Collector, Acquirer of Knowledge Albert Boczar, 92, passed away peacefully on Monday, June 1, 2009 at Raritan Health Center. He had been battling illness and was surrounded by loved ones. He is remembered for his wit, sense of humor and love for his family. Born on March 25, 1917 in Newark, NJ, Albert was the youngest of four children of Valerie and Adalbert of Poland. He lived in South Plainfield for over 40 years before relocating to North Branch in 2000. A Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Albert was employed by Wood Industries of Plainfield and Middlesex, where during a long career he served as Controller and was responsible for oversight of all financial accounting operations. He retired in 1981. Growing up in Newark, Albert was an active handball player, enjoyed baseball and eventually became an avid chess player. He fondly scoffed at the 1998 record‐setting NY Yankees championship baseball team by pointing out that his favorite team, the 1929 Connie Mack‐led Philadelphia Athletics, could easily have beaten them. As a young chess player, he was a member of the Rice Chess Club of Newark and then became active in the renowned Log Cabin Chess Club of West Orange. As a member of the Log Cabin Club, which at the time was one of the pre‐eminent chess clubs in the country and attracted top players such as Bobby Fischer, he frequently competed against some of the country’s strongest chess players. In the 1950s he was a member of one of E. Forry Laucks’ Log Cabin chess tours, which consisted of some of the top players in the Log Cabin club who barnstormed around the country and competed against top players in other clubs. Albert was also a member of the Irvington‐Polish Chess Club, the Sanger Halle Chess Club of Plainfield, and then the Plainfield/Westfield Chess Club, where he won the club championship and served for many years as the club’s Secretary/Treasurer. Albert joined the army in the 1940s and served in the Pacific theater during World War II, defending and then extracting the Japanese from the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. For his service he was awarded the American Defense Service Ribbon, the Asiatic Pacific Service Medal and the GC Medal. After being honorably discharged from the service, Albert attended and graduated from Rutgers University. Albert had an interest in collecting and he greatly enjoyed running a booth at the flea markets after his retirement. He amassed a sizeable antique vinyl record collection and was a fan of and interacted with, many vintage artists including Teresa Brewer. His love of music and singing introduced him to dancing, and he and his wife Henriette became accomplished polka dancers and occasionally vacationed with one of their favorite dance bands, the Jimmy Sturr Orchestra. He also had a keen insight into rare coins and stamps. A man with curiosity and an interest in learning, Albert worked many hours late in the evenings studying physics, astronomy, Einstein’s theories, chess problems and Polish. He also usually completed the daily newspaper’s crossword puzzle before noontime. A man of courage, Albert on one occasion in North Carolina while on vacation refused to leave his beach bungalow ahead of the approaching Hurricane Bob in spite of official orders to evacuate. Albert was predeceased by his loving wife of over 50 years Henriette, and his sisters Valerie, Henrietta and Irene. He is survived by his son Jon and wife Diane of Bridgewater, NJ, daughter Irene Stewart and her husband Kevin of Stockton, NJ, son David and his wife Laurie of Easton, CT, daughter Celine August and her husband Alan of Bridgewater, grandchildren Amy, Alan Jr., Andrew, Maeve, Valerie and Adam, and great granddaughter Lexi. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, June 20, 2009 at 2:00 PM at Stockton Presbyterian Church, 22 South Main Street, Stockton, NJ. An internment service will be held on June 24, 2009 at 1:00 PM at the Brigadier General Doyle Veteran’s Cemetery in Wrightstown, NJ. Donations in Albert Boczar’s memory may be sent to Memorialization Fund, Veteran’s Cemetery, 350 Provinceline Road, Wrightstown, NJ 08562. Albert Boczar - May you rest in peace. |