Gustave Bohlman

Gustave “Gus” Bohlman, 83, of The Villages, Florida, passed on October 10, 2017. He was born to the late Otto and Mary Bohlman, October 17, 1933, in Pipersville, Pennsylvania. He was a gifted musician even as a child and played the accordion at local taverns and festivities during his teenage years. Gus received a B.A. in Music and a Master’s degree in Education from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois. He is survived by his wife, Doris Marlatt Bohlman, to whom he had been married for 63 years. They lived in Iowa, Minnesota, and Pennsylvania before settling in Peoria, where they lived for more than 35 years. They moved to The Villages in 2001. Gus served in the U. S. Navy during the Korean war. After returning from the war, he worked as an analyst for the New York Life Insurance Company for 10 years. He and his family then relocated to Peoria, where he began a career in Education. He went on to teach music in the Peoria Public Schools District 150Peoria Public Schools District 150 so that he could share his love for all types of music with young people in the classroom. He later became a well-respected principal at Webster, Lincoln, and Thomas Jefferson Elementary Schools and worked in that capacity for most of his career. Gus was a member of The Villages piano club and played in The Villages Regional Hospital atrium every Friday for almost 10 years. A listener once told him his performance was as smooth as silk. Gus enjoyed finding music that would bring back pleasant memories to those listening and was keenly aware of the effect music had on its listeners. He always had time for a kind word or word of encouragement to others. In addition to his wife, Gus is survived by one daughter, Lori Huff, of The Villages and three sisters and one brother in Pennsylvania. He is also survived by five grandchildren and two great grandchildren. As a Navy veteran, Gus will be buried in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida. The date is to be determined. Gus was an avid player and fan of golf; he owned several Corvettes, one bright red, one bright yellow, and another dark green. He had a kind and playful sense of humor and laughed a lot. He was devoted to his family. Gus’s passions were music and helping others. Instead of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Just People at www.justpeople.org.