James L Boswell

James L. Boswell Jr, beloved son of Dr. James L. Boswell and mother Eva Young Boswell passed away on February 25, 2021 at Spring Mill Senior Living in Phoenixville, Pa. at age 96 . He is survived by his wife, of 69 years, Doris Louise and daughters Susan Cipolla and spouse Alan, Alice Corkum and spouse John, and son James Boswell and his wife Paula.He has six grandchildren and a great grandson. James is predeceased by his sisters, Rebecca Jane Yates and Judith Cosby. For most of his married life he resided in Worcester and Skippack, PA. He graduated from Collegeville -Trappe High School at age 16. He took a gap year before continuing his education as his parents thought he was too young to begin college. During that time he worked at the Collegeville Flag factory, rolling flags and boxing them. He earned a BS in Mathematics at Ursinus College in 1944, and was offered a fellowship at the University of Chicago where he earned his Master in Mathematics. He taught mathematics for a year at Villanova University. He enjoyed nothing better than integrating numbers. As a child he suffered from Hirschprung Disease . Unfortunately the diet he needed to maintain his health could not be met by the armed forces. He received a medical disability and sadly could not serve our country in World War II. He did find work in the war effort in mathematics at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia. After his work at the Institute ended, he began to grow shrubs on his parents property, Black Willows Farm in Skippack, now part of Evansburg Park. He planted a nursery and sold plants to the public and met his wife, Doris while soliciting work in Eagleville. They married in 1952. His business thrived . He and his father expanded into Christmas Trees and developed a nice seasonal business. James became a very active member of the community. He served in leadership roles for the United Way in Collegeville. He became an active member of the Fr. Tomko Council of the Knights of Columbus and later became a Grand Knight and a 4th degree lifetime member. He joined the Collegeville Rotary and has also served as President of that organization. For many years he was an active member of the Pa. Nurseryman’s Association. He was also a member of the Keystone Grange #2. He lived a very simple life and enjoyed his family, near and far and his civic minded and Church friends. As a child, he attended the Chicago World”s Fair. He was put on a train at age 8 with his sister Becky to visit his Aunts in Kentucky. As a young boy, he played the violin and again was placed on a train this time to Philadelphia to hear the Philadelphia Orchestra play. He had a childhood like no other, bicycling from Collegeville to Audubon to explore the copper mines and setting up his own chem labs in the basement of his house. He always had a smile on his face. He enjoyed stamp collecting, reading and mathematical word problems. He loved learning. James had a strong will to live. He battled cancer of the vocal chords for 7 years and finally had a total laryngectomy nearly 8 years ago. He remained cheerful and optimistic until the end of his life. Services for the family will be private with a Mass at St. Eleanors in Collegeville. Memorial donations can be made in his name to the Collegeville Rotary Club or the Knights of Columbus.