Elias Dewayne Bozeman, born April 5, 1948, in Shallotte, left us on Nov. 15, 2015, at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington. He was 67 years old and resided in Wilmington.
He leaves behind a family who loves and misses him tremendously. The family he left behind includes his wife of 32 years, Lynda Faye Purvis Bozeman; son, Elias Dewayne Allen; a daughter and son-in-law, Robin Renee Shepherd and Mark Lee Wells; a son and daughter-in-law, David Keith and Melissa Lynn Fallaw-Shepherd; grandchildren, Darryl Lewis McGee Jr., Darren Keith Lane, Chelsey Renee Strickland, Brittney Jeanette Nance, Robin Danielle Shepherd and Miranda Lynn Shepherd; and great-grandchildren, Kaeden Vann Rogers and Landon Joseph Cenname.
Dewayne, as most people called him, was many things to many people. For his beloved country, he was a proud soldier who tended to other soldiers who were sick or wounded during his tour in Vietnam. To his wife, he was a loving, thoughtful husband. To his children, he was a stern but gentle father. To his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, he was a loving and understanding Pa-Pa.
To me, he was more than just a father-in-law, he was more like the Daddy that I never had and a friend I could go to when I needed a shoulder to cry on or an ear to hear me when I just needed to vent my frustrations.
He had a love for music, cars, computer technology, his immediate and extended family and most of all he loved his wife with all he had. He was a straightforward man who liked to keep things plain and simple. He was strong in mind, strong in heart and stood firm in his beliefs and it is a special honor to me that the family has chosen me to write this memorial about him. I hope I did him justice and no one is disappointed with what I have written on this page.
It’s hard for us all to accept that he is gone, for he certainly will never be forgotten. The world may have lost a soldier, a husband, a daddy and a Pa-Pa, but Heaven has absolutely gained itself an angel.
A military memorial service will be in his honor at a later date and family and friends will be invited.
Condolences may be sent to Lynda P. Bozeman, P.O. Box 1802 Carolina Beach, NC, 28428.
–With sincere thanks, the Bozeman family
Bo’s thoughts: I got my love for music from dad, so much so that I eventually knew more about his generation’s music than he did. When he got where he couldn’t get around much because of his hip, we would sit together for hours listening to music in his room, reminiscing. He loved computers and got me interested in getting my very first one. He loved teaching and showing me all he knew about the things you can do with one–even the technical stuff. He loved kids, even if they would sometimes break his heart. When I was 5, my brother and I found his car keys while he was taking a nap and we crashed his car into a tree. Oops!
Please leave online condolences for the family at Andrews Mortuary.
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