OBITUARY: Boggs Gases Founder, J. Michael Boggs, 82, of Titusville, Passed Away on Dec. 9
By Space Coast Daily // December 13, 2021
Mike founded Boggs Fire Equipment in 1967
Mike served in the United States Army and then began work with the State of Florida where he became the youngest State Fire Marshall in the service.
J. Michael “Mike” Boggs, born on September 7, 1939, passed away on December 9. He is survived by his wife Dollie M. Boggs and children Michelle Boggs-Thorne and Richard N. Boggs.
Born in Ivydale, West Virginia, Mike moved to Titusville with his family in the early 1950’s. It is in Titusville that he met his wife to be, Dollie Aliff.
A graduate of Florida State University, Mike served in the United States Army and then began work with the State of Florida where he became the youngest State Fire Marshall in the service. After leaving government service, Mike founded Boggs Fire Equipment in 1967. It is as an entrepreneur that Mike found his true calling.
Over the next 45 years he built Boggs Fire Equipment, later renamed Boggs Gases, into one of the largest family-owned independent Compressed Gas companies in the state of Florida.
Mike’s children returned to the family business, Michelle in 1992 and Richard in 1994, and as a family continued to build Boggs Gases. Mike stepped back from day-to-day operations in 2004. The company was named one of NASA’s Small Business of the Year in 2010 and still continues to grow and prosper to the present day.
In retirement, Mike continued his entrepreneurship in starting and running several small businesses and in his spare time enjoyed his hobbies of motorsports, jewelry making and antique car restoration. Until the last few months of his life, Mike continued to come to his office on Main Street to look after his many projects.
Mike will be best remembered for his larger than life personality and for his boundless generosity. In the ballgame of life, Mike took big swings and that was the way he would wish to be remembered.
A visitation will be held at North Brevard Funeral Home at 1450 Norwood Avenue Titusville, FL 32796 from 4-6 pm on Tuesday, December 14th.
Mike will be laid to rest in a graveside ceremony at 11 am on Wednesday, December 15th at Oaklawn Memorial Gardens in Titusville. In lieu of flowers, please honor Mike with a donation to the Jess Parrish Medical Foundation. (www.parrishhealthcare.com/ways-to-give/donate-now/).
