Richard Grimm Boller

“They’ll have to pry me out of this boat before I will ever leave here,” Richard Boller had said – and much to his likely delight, he was right! Richard Grimm Boller, former Navy seaman, hardhat diver, explorer, and twin-engine pilot of Beaufort, NC left this world Sunday evening, January 22nd at 8:36 PM. He was 89 years old and often spoke of how he would make it to 90; it turns out, God had arranged a different adventure for him!

Richard began this life in Elizabeth, NJ, on May 22, 1927 as the fourth and youngest child of Irene White Boller and Frank Hugo Boller, the President of Boller Beverages, Inc. Well known regionally in its heyday, Boller Beverages was a family-run business that operated for nearly 100 years, importing wines and liquors from around the world and distributing their own brand of sodas throughout the New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area. Richard attended Alexander Hamilton Jr.  High School and Admiral Farragut Naval Academy in Toms River, NJ, and was active in basketball, football and boxing, but always passionate about the sea and flying. He learned how to sail, and loved accompanying his father on their forty-foot wooden twin-screw craft, sailing out of Keyport, NJ.

In his twenties, Richard joined the Navy and was active in the Korean War. He was one of the few survivors of the tragic USS Hobson-USS Wasp collision that took place on April 26, 1952, 700 miles off the coast of the Azores in the Atlantic.  During the middle of the night, as he and his shipmates were sleeping below decks, the Hobson was cut in half by the Wasp as they were involved in airplane recovery exercises.  The Hobson sank within five minutes and only 61 of the 237 persons onboard survived. Following the tragedy, Richard later trained as a Navy hardhat diver, working in a variety of shipyards up and down the East Coast.

Under the G.I. Bill, Richard attended Tufts University in Boston, where he received a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. He put his degree to use when he assumed leadership as President of Boller Beverages, Inc. following his father’s passing, and stayed in the role until his retirement.

Ever the explorer, Richard earned his twin engine airplane license and flew out of Linden Airport in New Jersey as he continued to explore the world. He loved to travel and brought his family with him on many unique and wonderful adventures to the Amazon, Machu Picchu, and beyond. Wherever he traveled, his unconventional style resulted in memorable stories and lifetime friendships.

Richard eventually settled down on a houseboat in the close-knit community of Beaufort, NC, where he found a collection of deeply generous and gregarious neighbors. He soon became a fixture in the marina, known to all.

He is survived by his son Frank Hugh Boller and his wife Maryann Markowitz Boller of Cary, NC; his daughter Elisa Boller Thomas and her husband Kenneth Zraik of Sedona, AZ; as well as four grandchildren: Christopher Boller of Jackson, NJ; Jonathan Boller and his wife Jessica of Alexandria, VA; Caitlyn Boller of San Francisco, CA; and Richard Thomas of Brooklyn, NY. His entrepreneurial spirit and curiosity about the world is a gift he gave to us all.

Richard has requested cremation, and a private scattering of ashes will take place with family members. Friends and family are invited to join a celebration of his long and wonderful life at the Marina where he lived (414 Orange Street, Beaufort, NC) . It’s just being planned but will most likely be held on the weekend before what would have been his 90th birthday, on May 22nd, 2017. Come prepared with stories to share and celebrate this unforgettable man’s life.

For those who would like to make a donation in his memory, a cause near and dear to his heart was the ASPCA, improving the lives of abused and neglected animals. You can donate either by going online to aspca.org/donate/memorial, via phone by calling 1-800-628-0028, or by mailing a check to: ASPCA, PO Box 96929, Washington, DC, 20090- 6929.

Godspeed Richard!