Longtime local Boy Scout leader Art Bomia dies

The Monroe man became a Boy Scout at age 13 and stayed in the organization, serving as an adult leader and remained active until his death. He was involved in Troop 597, Monroe County Fair Service Troop 1948 and Scouting for Food.

“He did a lot in scouting. He touched the lives of thousands of boys,” said Rick Kinsey, a fellow longtime area Boy Scout leader. “Art thoroughly enjoyed scouting. He got into it as a boy and always loved it. I’m really sorry to hear that he’s gone. He was a hell of a guy.”

Kinsey met Bomia in the 1960s, when both were Boy Scouts themselves.

“I was in Troop 579, sponsored by the Custer Parent Teacher Association. Art was in Troop 597 out of Jefferson,” Kinsey said. "I stayed in Troop 579 (as an adult leader). He stayed with 597, but we worked in the Running Waters District events together. We were unit commissioners together and did a lot with the Order of the Arrow. Art had always been quite active in OA. Those were great times we had in scouting.”

When local scouts achieved milestones, such as Arrow of Light or Eagle Scout, Bomia made them hand-tied scarf fasteners, according to Monroe News archives. In 2010, Bomia was honored at the Running Waters District, Great Sauk Trail Council Distinguished Scouter Award Dinner.

For more than 40 years, Bomia also was a leader for Monroe County Fair Service Troop 1948. He was still serving.

“He was still around, not as much, but he was still around,” Kinsey said. “He still camped out with the fair troop every year.”

In 1998, Bomia received a meritorious service plaque from the Monroe County Fair for his service to the Boy Scout troop.

Lisa Gessner, Troop 1948 committee chairperson, previously told The Monroe News, “Art’s passion for scouting is unwavering, and his dedication to the youth in the scouting program is a constant positive example to those of us who work alongside him as leader. It is rare to find someone as dedicated to anything as Art is to the youth in this program, and we are all fortunate to have him in our scouting family.”

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Bomia also was the longtime local coordinator for Scouting for Food, which collects items for Monroe County food pantries; the program dates back to the late 1970s.

Bomia attended Jefferson High School, where he worked as a custodian for more than 30 years. He also was involved in Big Brothers/Big Sisters; Monroe Council 1266, Knights of Columbus; and St. Anne Church.

To share a memory of Bomia or to offer condolences, visit Merkle Funeral Service’s website.

— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler atswisler@monroenews.com.