Oxford/Orion FISH lost a vital piece of its heart and soul when longtime volunteer Charles Theodore ‘Ted? Boberg, of Metamora Township, passed away Sunday, June 22. He was 83.
‘Ted has just been around forever to help wherever, whenever he could,? said FISH Pantry Coordinator Val Cass.
Boberg was active in FISH from about 1977 through 2004 when his declining health required him to take it easy.
Over the years, Boberg did everything for the local charity from driving people to doctor’s appointments to working in the food pantry, where he sorted groceries, packed orders and unloaded trucks.
‘He was just a dear, sweet man and dedicated worker,? said FISH member Lynne McLoskey. ‘He’d never say no. He would do anything you asked. He believed in (FISH).?
Working right along side him at FISH was always Mary, his loving wife of 58 years, who started volunteering with FISH three years before him.
‘It was so satisfying to know we were able to do some small thing to help the community,? she said. ‘It just felt right.?
‘He and Mary were always very helpful no matter what the occasion called for,? said FISH member John Lychuk, who recalled how the couple used to man a station during the CROP Walk in Oxford. ‘They were always available. He was a dedicated guy.?
Even though he never served on FISH’s board of directors, like his wife, Boberg attended meetings and continued to do so in later years when he was no longer an active volunteer.
‘He was very good at giving his opinion,? Mary said.
A hands-on kind of guy, Boberg disliked not being able to pitch in like he used to, but always kept his good humor.
‘Every time I saw him he would say, ‘I sure wish I could help more. I’m going to work on that,?? Cass said.
When he wasn’t volunteering for FISH, Boberg spent 37 years with General Motors at the Pontiac Motor Division where he worked as a mold setter. He retired in 1990.
Originally from Warren, Pennsylvania, Boberg came to Michigan in 1937.
He served in the U.S. Army from 1948-50 and was fortunate enough not to get shipped off to the Korean War.
‘Most of the men that went with (his) unit did not come back,? Mary noted.
After marrying his sweetheart on June 15, 1950, the two later settled in Metamora Township (Oxford mailing) in 1964, where they raised five children.
Mary will never forget how her husband ‘loved a joke? and ‘loved to tell stories.?
The couple spent many a happy time on the dance floor.
‘We square-danced for years until our legs wouldn’t do it anymore,? Mary said.
She also won’t forget their many travels together including spending two summers in Alaska.
Although he was ‘kind and generous in so many different ways,? Mary said he never hesitated to stand up to people who ‘we’re doing what he thought was wrong.?
‘He was not afraid to tell people,? she said.
In addition to his wife, Boberg is survived by his children Tom Boberg, of Pontiac; Margaret Batchelor of O’Fallon, Illinois; John (Angela) Boberg, of Clarkston; Bob (Jennifer) Boberg, of Indianapolis, Indiana; and Jim Boberg, of Metamora.
He’s also survived by 10 grandchildren, three great grandchildren, many loving friends and all those in need he helped along the way.
Boberg’s life was celebrated June 25 with a memorial service at the Dominican Sisters Motherhouse on W. Drahner Rd. in Oxford.
In lieu of flowers, the family requested that contributions to Oxford/Orion FISH be made in Boberg’s name.