James E. Boddie

James “Ervin” Boddie was on born November 15, 1916 in Nash County, Rocky Mount, North Carolina To the union of the late Willie Redman Boddie and the late Mary Lee Taylor Boddie. In this union there were sixteen children born. Ervin was the seventh child. He attended Nash County Public Schools. He was a valuable worker farming with his family, until he moved to Baltimore, Maryland and was employed for a short time at the Navy Ship Yard before starting work with the Bethlehem Steel Company. There he worked in the “furnace” for almost forty years. Before his retirement he was promoted to Forman of three shifts (day, evening and night). He loved his job and he was an exemplary worker, as noted by his promotions and acclimates. Ervin was married as a young adult in Rocky Mount, NC to Almeida (deceased), and there were four children born: Christine, Garrulous (deceased), Morris and Lois (deceased). In 1952, he married Flossie Marie Bedford (Gordon). They enjoyed sixty-one years of inseparable, loving bliss. In this union they raised two children, Joseph C. Gordon (deceased) and Brenda Gordon Green. After retirement, Ervin enjoyed his family immensely (siblings, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews). He was an avid bowler and loved traveling the country. He was recognized by his family for being the inspiration and founder of the “Taylor Family Reunion”. This family reunion will carry on forever. He attended these functions until his health began to fail. He loved the games played at the gatherings; socialization and watching his family grow. His bowling career, qualified him for travel to pro bowling tournaments but he was too modest to allow his name to be entered into competition. At one time, Ervin was a member of five different leagues in a season, carrying an average of 200-250 pins per game. He would easily bowl a 600+ series on any day. His travel included: motoring across country with his wife and other family members to visit his daughter Brenda, stopping in Georgia to see President Carter’s peanut farm, Wyoming’s Grand Canyon, Las Vegas, NV, Seattle Washington Space Needle, Multnomah Falls and the Dog Race in Portland, Oregon and relaxing in the Hot Springs in Bend, Oregon. He also traveled by air to Spokane, WA and Pine Bluff, AR (where he visited the Clinton Library). Ervin went home to be with his Lord on January 17, 2012. He knew God’s footsteps lead him from Bethlehem Baptist Church (Rocky Mount, NC), Fountain Baptist Church and then Ray of Hope Baptist Church (his home church for many years). Ervin leaves to cherish his love and memories of a long great life: a loving and devoted wife, Flossie; daughters, Dr. Brenda J. Green and Christine Stevenson (Steve); one son, Morris Boddie brothers, Leroy “Dock” Boddie (Sylvia) and Carl Lee Boddie (Flo); sisters, Lillian Covington and Mary Wiggs; five grandchildren, Zelda Jessup (James), Kenneth Fleet (Anita), Christy G. Spradley (Aaron), John Boddie and Katrina Boddie; great-grandchildren include: Kaylan, Tiffaney, Kenneth Jr., Jameel, Niyah, Sydney and Zoe; and five great-great-grandchildren; there are many nieces, nephews, cousins and church family members from North Carolina, Baltimore, Maryland, Dover, Delaware, Pine Bluff, Arkanas and Portland, Oregon.

Tributes

James E. Boddie

November 15, 1916 - January 17, 2012