Winnifred W. Bossard (Wright)

Winnifred Beatrice Wright Bossard, was born on March 30th, 1939 to the union of Winifred (Champion) Wright and Samuel Oscar Wright Jr. in Camden, South Carolina. She was their second born of their two daughters. Winnie departed this life on January 18th, 2021, at Christiana Care Hospice & Palliative Care, in Wilmington, Delaware. Raised in the United Methodist tradition, Winnie attended Trinity United Methodist Church in Camden, South Carolina, from an early age and into young adulthood. She attended Jackson Elementary School and then went on to attend and graduate from the prestigious Boylan-Haven Mather Academy in 1956. She advanced her education and graduated from South Carolina State College in Orangeburg, South Carolina, where she obtained a bachelor’s degree in Business and Secretarial Studies. This put her well on her path of becoming an extraordinary Administrative Assistant and Secretary. We believe she did her student teaching in Denmark, South Carolina and met her future husband, Belasco J. Bossard, “Jack”, during that time. Winnie and Jack were married on December 21st, 1962, in Camden, South Carolina, and both were employed at Mather Academy. Jack was the basketball coach and taught Science and Physical Education, while Winnie was the Typing and Shorthand teacher. After a few years of teaching at Mather, the couple, along with their first-born son, moved to Lamar, South Carolina, and continued teaching in the school system there. Lamar was a rural town known for producing tobacco, corn, cotton and the Klan. Despite the risk, Winnie and another teacher volunteered to go from home to home of the black tenant farmers to stress the importance of sending their children to school to get an education instead of keeping them at home to harvest crops. By 1967, their second son was born, and with little change in the socio-economic structure in the South, Jack and Winnie were open to consider other options. So, in June of 1969, the family relocated to Dover, Delaware. Winnie was a devoted mother, loving wife, loyal friend and good neighbor. She quickly adjusted to life in Delaware. She and Jack were well known in the Dover Community. Winnie enjoyed traveling to sporting events, family gatherings, chats with friends, reading, and as a member of Whatcoat United Methodist Church, she managed the newsletter, under the leadership of Reverend Alice J. Ervin and was the Assistant Secretary for the Trustees Board. Winnie was also a Board Member of the Harvest House. She enjoyed taking on leadership roles for initiatives she cared deeply about. Winnie was employed by the Capital School District and transitioned from being in the classroom to an office position in Administration. She retired after 30 years of dedicated service. Those who knew her understood her love of life, family, and football. Both of her sons played college football, so for eight years, on any given Saturday in the Fall, you would find Winnie traveling to a game. The habit continued as her grandsons played sports too, football, baseball, karate, soccer and lacrosse. In 1977, Winnie, one of the “Lucky 11 of 77” was initiated into the Dover Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Her older sister Beck was present at her initiation ceremony. In 1979, Winnie welcomed her niece Jackie into Delta land and the legacy continued when her niece, Vanessa, pledged in 1995. Winnie was a Golden Life Member. She served on many committees. As a breast cancer survivor, she was dedicated to the success of the Relay For Life Committee and she also enjoyed serving on the Senior Prom Committee. She had an incredibly special bond with her niece, Vanessa. She and her husband Jack welcomed Vanessa to live with them every summer from the first grade through the 9th grade and then again after her freshman year in college, thus, creating an unbreakable bond with Vanessa and the Bossard family. Winnie Wright Bossard was preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Rebecca Wright Coote; and her husband, Belasco J. Bossard, Jr. Winnie leaves to mourn and celebrate her home going: her sons, Eric Kurtis Bossard (JoAnne) of Lansdale, Pennsylvania and Bryan Jackson Bossard (Kimber) of Dover, Delaware; nieces Vanessa Michele Wright Adams of Camden, South Carolina and Jacqueline Rutledge of Seneca, South Carolina; grandsons, Brandon, Justin, Connor, Xen and Xyon Bossard; extended family, many friends and Sorors of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

Winnifred W. Bossard (Wright)

March 30, 1939 - January 18, 2021