Bohn Jay Barham, 78, died Wednesday, January 31, 2018 at the St. Catherine-Providence Hospice Place in Waco following a lengthy period of illness.
Celebration of Bohn Jay’s life: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Bledsoe-Miller Community Center, 300 Martin Luther King Blvd., Waco, TX. BBQ and Blues will be served.
Bohn leaves behind his niece, Phyllis Barham and close family friend, Carleta Rose; nephew, Barry Barham; his sister in law, Neva Barham Levy; his cousins, Monty Montgomery and Misty Gartman; and many close friends.
Born in Kermit, Winkler County, Texas in December of 1939 and raised in Stephenville as the son of Carrol and Leta (Atkins) Barham with little brother, Dohn Barham, Bohn Jay remained a lifelong Texan.
In his early years, Bohn graduated from Stephenville High School and attended the University of Texas in Austin on a track and field scholarship as a long-distance runner. He remained at UT for a year and a half and then transferred to the University of North Texas. Bohn was a member of the Kappa Alpha Order fraternity where he developed life-long friendships to this day. He transferred and graduated from Tarleton in 1965 with a degree in History.
In 1963, Bohn enlisted in the US Air Force where he served six years active and reserve duty. He served the majority of his time in psychiatric services where Bohn helped diagnose and treat veterans. Bohn was honorably discharged as a NCO, Sergeant in March, 1969.
After serving his country, Bohn began his career and greatest passion in life as that of a teacher and a coach. Over a 25-year span, beginning in his youth and ending in his retirement, Bohn touched the lives of boys and girls throughout towns in South Texas such as Edinburg, Santa Rosa, Harlingen, McAllen and Rio Grande City (all located in the Rio Grande Valley). Then in San Antonio where he taught at Alamo Heights and Central Catholic. During his lifetime, Bohn wore many hats as an English, History, and Social Studies teacher, a football coach, a track coach, a disciplinarian, a mentor, and a friend. Bohn loved to teach and coach young people to grow and mature into better human beings.
Other than Bohn’s teaching career, he was an entrepreneur, founding a photography business and a patch embroidery business in San Antonio. He approached these businesses with the same fervor as teaching and grew both of these into successful businesses over time.
Bohn’s other great passions were Texas Longhorn football and Blues & Zydeco music. He was an avid fan and follower of UT football for his entire life, from keeping meticulous notes on UT’s high school recruiting classes, to yelling at the television on Saturday afternoons. Bohn also loved the blues music scene in Texas and the Southeast. Bohn played an active role in the San Antonio Blues Society as one of the founding members and continued his involvement by helping manage finances and organize jams. The annual Labor Day Louisiana Zydeco festival became a cherished time for Bohn with family and friends.
The man simply loved a good show.
Please join the family for a celebration of Bohn Jay’s life at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Bledsoe-Miller Community Center, 300 Martin Luther King Blvd., Waco, TX. BBQ and Blues will be served.
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Bohn was a great mentor to me as a coach and teacher. I got is his hip pocket and learned so much from this talented coach. He taught me how to coach all events in track and field, how to run a cross country and track meet, how to read defenses in football and how to communicate with the student athletes. I recently retired as Athletic Director with 40 years and I can honestly say that I’m so glad that God let Bohn Barham cross my path. May he rest in peace.
So long was good serving with you. Rusty Adams A1C
He will be missed. Thanks coach for the life lessons before and after high school. You were tough and you were right.
Coach was a great motivator as the Harlingen Track coach, and I know my Dad who was the Principal, thought very highly of him as a classroom teacher. RIP, Coach.
After graduating from Harlingen High School, I often wondered where Coach Barham was and what he was doing .
I was in one of his history classes and he was a really good teacher, he kept it interesting by adding small personal stories that also contained a life lesson or two. It’s surprising how often, in the midst of a situation, I would recall one of these life lessons, think “Coach Barham said……….” and that way I’d have my answer. My sincere condolences to his family – just know that he made a difference in the lives of many people.
while you were a couple of years ahead of me in high school, you always treated me with respect. At North Texas you encouraged me to rush the Kappa Alpha fraternity. Unfortunately , finances did not allow me to pursue that offer.
Rest in peace, Bohn Jay!
Really enjoyed being coached by you. You really taught me that hard work pays off and I still think that way today 40 years later. Thank you for being there for me and really all of us.