James L. Bodish, 85, of Marion

James L. Bodish, 85, of Marion, a proud Conservative (he was known not to shake hands with a Democrat), escaped the Socialist Presidency of the Kenyan, Barack Obama on March 3rd, 2015. He is survived by his son Zachary Bodish (much to his father’s chagrin, a damn Democrat) and his three furry Grand cats Mimi, Tou Tou and Spicer.

Born and raised in Charleroi, Pa. He graduated from Charleroi High School (ranked 12 in a class of 430). After high school he was offered a partial scholarship to Western Reserve University in Cleveland (before they merged with Case), to make-up the rest of his tuition James worked in a Cleveland steel mill pouring oil on hot steel as it exited the rollers.

His time at Western Reserve (never say that he attended “Case” and he barely tolerated people calling it “Case Western”) was interrupted by the Korean Conflict (Jim always said “if it was a police action, where were the police?”); he joined the Air Force in 1953 where he served with the 308th Bomb Wing of the Strategic Air Command as a mechanic. While in the Air Force he was recruited to join the CIA but declined when he was told that he would have to spend a couple of years behind a desk instead of getting to be a dashing field agent (he always regretted that decision).

In 1957 James returned to Western Reserve to finish his degree in Political Science and became very active in the Beta Theta Phi fraternity (where he and his brothers used to drink flaming shots of watered down medical alcohol liberated from the school labs).

After graduation James worked in the Insurance and Auditing professions, retiring from Nationwide Insurance as manager of the Property & Casualty Audits department.

During his career, James earned a Master’s degree in accounting through study at the University of Akron, Miami University (Ohio) and Franklin University. He also achieved the professional accreditation’s of Certified Internal Auditor (CIA, but not, you know, “that” C.I.A.), Chartered Property & Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) and Fellowship of Life Management Institute (FLMI).

James was married to the vivacious and energetic Joan Austin of Marion for forty-six years before her passing in 2007, an event which took the wind out of his sails. James was a fervent Ohio State football and basketball fan (also a hater of “that school up north”). Until a few years ago James was an avid swinger of golf clubs with his initial hole-in-one-coming on his very first golf outing, which led him to mistakenly believe golf would be easy and only two more holes-in-one for his lifetime.

James will have a private interment beside his beloved Joan and a happy hour (no flaming shots of medical alcohol) for friends on Saturday, March 21, 2015 at the Marion County Club from 2 until 4PM.

Charitable donations may be made in his name to The Marion Palace Theater.

Gunder/Hall & Folk Funeral Directors, a division of Snyder Funeral Homes, is honored to have been chosen to serve James’ family.  Your condolences may be expressed to them by visiting www.SnyderFuneralHomes.com.