Ron “Joe†Bovill, 76, of Kearney, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by family On April 28, 2015 after a nearly three year battle with cancer.
A Memorial Mass will be on Monday, May 4, 2015 at 10:30 a.m. at Prince of Peace Catholic Church in Kearney, NE. Father Joe Hannappel will celebrate and private family burial will be later. There will be no Visitation. A Vigil Wake Service will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 3, 2015 at the church. In lieu of gifts and flowers, Memorials may be directed to the Ron Bovill and Jane Ziebarth-Bovill Scholarship Fund at the University of Nebraska Foundation. Visit www.hlmkfuneral.com to leave a tribute or message of condolence. Horner Lieske McBride & Kuhl Funeral and Cremation Services in Kearney are in charge of arrangements.
Ron Bovill was born in Malvern, Iowa on October 10, 1938, the son of Glen and Neva (Stogdill) Bovill. The long-time educator and coach graduated with a Masters Degree in Education from Kearney State College and a B.A. in Education from Wayne State University. Ron started his teaching and coaching career in Allen, Nebraska after graduating from Wayne State University in 1961 where he was a member of the football team and active in the drama department, passions that he would carry throughout his life. He married Jane Ziebarth on March 4, 2000 in Axtell, NE.
Following 32 years of teaching and coaching at the high school level, Ron spent several years as a professor in the Education Department at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. In 2011, he was inducted into the UNK Academy for Teacher Education Excellence. He was the first director of the UNK Network of Partner Schools. Ron and his wife and fellow UNK professor, Jane Ziebarth-Bovill have been published several times in the field of
education and they co-authored the book Amazing Alec: A Boy of Remarkable
Character. Ron also wrote the novel Absolution and the poem Life is Good which was first published in the scholarly journal, Education.
Other teaching and coaching stops for Ron included St. Mary’s High in O’Neill, St. Cecilia in Hastings and Aurora High School. His 1976 women’s track team at Aurora High School was the Class B State Champions.
Prior to heading to Aurora, Ron worked as the News Director for KHAS-TV in Hastings for two and a half years. He also performed professionally in his one-man show as Mark Twain. Hollywood found him in the 70s and flew him out to California to shoot commercials as Mark Twain for Wells Fargo Bank.
An active member at St. James Church in Kearney, Ron delivered communion to home bound parishioners and was an honorary member of the Knights of Columbus. He also served as a mentor in Tom Osborne’s TeamMates Mentoring Program to middle school kids and was a member of the Lion’s Club.
Ron is survived by his wife, Dr. Jane Ziebarth-Bovill; children Kirk Bovill and his wife Joni of Los Angeles, CA, Kami Landenberger and husband Randy of Omaha, NE, Shawn Bovill and his wife Maria of Bangkok, Thailand, Pat Bovill and his wife Xan of Chicago, IL; four grandchildren, Tyler Landenberger, Lee Landenberger, Lane Landenberger and Kellen Bovill; mother Neva Bovill of Wahoo; sister Jo Anna Sheets of Lincoln, NE; brother Doug Bovill of Round Rock, TX and Father In Law Wayne Ziebarth
He was preceded in death by his father Glen Bovill and brother Larry Bovill.
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