Byron David Bogumill

Cy (Byron) Bogumill passed peacefully from this world surrounded by family, listening to Silent Night played by a Hospice music therapist.  He breathed his last as “sleep in heavenly peace” was played.  Ten days earlier he was celebrating his 89th birthday with 25 of his dear family.

Cy approached life with a twinkle in his eye and the enthusiasm and wonder of a young boy.  His passionate approach to life included travel, laughter, dancing, singing, love making, the occasional cigar, good food and good beer.  He was a sharp dresser, leaning to suspenders and hats of various kinds.  In his final weeks he wore a butterfly that granddaughter Kaylen attached to his vest.  He could be quirky and unconventional, insisting that he be buried in a handsome cigar box he had saved for that purpose.

Cy’s wives Marina Slater, Barbara Bogumill, and Barbara Marin remained friends with him and with each other.  He was grateful to Marina and Barbara B for giving him five children.  He treasured the times with his kids and grandkids. He fondly recalled time in Germany when his kids were teens, Guy Trips with sons and grandsons, overseas travel with his kids and grandkids to Switzerland and tours of Europe. A middle child of 11, he was well loved by siblings, nieces and nephews.

Cy was proud of his career in the Department of Defense which allowed him to live abroad. He spent 10 years in Germany and 4 years in Korea.  Without having set foot in college, as he said, attending only the school of hard knocks, he advanced to become a GS13 as a supervisor in Information Management.  When he met Barbara Marin, her Ph.D. did not intimidate him because he had debriefed 4-star generals.

He enjoyed and was good at many sports, football in high school, volks marching, squash, basketball, corn hole and skiing (often in Europe).  His passion for tennis was at the expense of a few tennis rackets and his knees, but he persisted until he was 80.  He continued hiking in local parks and his beloved Switzerland until 2021.  He was often the winner at poker on Guy Trips because he stayed a bit more sober than the rest of the guys.   Another passion was the Packers from his home state of Wisconsin.  In his later years he could not watch them live because it drove his blood pressure too high.  In his last months, he taught Mary his caregiver to play RummiKub and they had lively tournaments with Mary often laughing at her Old Dude.

Cy loved cars and had fond memories of Mercedes, Cadillacs and two ’57 Chevies.  In Germany, a neighbor taught him how to repair cars for the price of a case or two of beer.  Repairing could be dangerous:  he regularly ruined work dress shirts being too eager to start before he changed clothes and once he had an engine fire that nearly set the house on fire.  He bought German cars from the Germans and sold them to GIs after driving them fast on the Autobahn.

After retiring, Cy volunteered for many years with the National Park Service, first at Mount Rainier and then in San Francisco.  It was here that he bought a Cadillac on the street without ever checking if it ran.  He loved the interior and spent a year repairing it in the parking lot of the Presidio where he lived in a dorm.  In 1998 Barbara M’s, brother Bill drove the couple proudly in that Cadillac to Fort Mason overlooking San Francisco Bay for a commitment ceremony.  Cy specifically asked for Bill to officiate at his funeral as well.  After moving to Atlanta in 2001, Cy volunteered taking seniors to doctor appointments (any excuse to drive).

Cy’s playful side could be seen as he flirted with toddlers, laughed at late night shows and told corny jokes.  He cried easily at sad or romantic movies, one of the first things Barbara M fell in love with.  He was an open book and was able to tell on himself and still laugh at himself. He was generous and trusting, talking daily to God.  He was a great hugger, and his kids and grandkids carry on the tradition.

As the circle of life continues, Cy has joined his parents, Ed Bogumill and Clarissa Pierce Bogumill and his son Gary and Gary’s mom Marina Slater.  He leaves behind many who will mourn his loss including his wife Barbara, ex-wife Barbara, children Kathy Serenko (Jim), Doug Bogumill (Tonya), Shawn Davis (Steve) and Dennis Bogumill (Kristen) and Gary’s wife Cherry, stepchildren Melisa (Kevin) Lindamood and Andres (Cassie) Marin.  His heart’s delight were grandchildren Chris (Katie) Zapatos, Amanda (Chad) Gifford, Trent (Krista) Bogumill, Amanda (Trevor) Hyde, Richard and Jonathan Whittington, Andrew and Lindsay Davis, Kylee, Drew and Kaylen Bogumill, Sienna and Sasha Lindamood, Mia, Willow and Daniel Marin, and great grandsons Christian Zapatos, Lyam, Jimmie and Kade Gifford, and Jordan Hyde.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that memorial donations be made to The Child Fund.  www.childfund.org

Close family will gather for his burial (in his cigar box) at Honey Creek Woodlands on May 31 at 3 PM.  The party that he wanted will happen June 1 at a place and time to be announced.

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