William J. Boarman, a resident of Severna Park for 34 years and retired head of the Printing Sector of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), died on Sunday August 22nd, as a result of a fall at his yacht club while spending time on his beloved boat.

Appointed by President Barack Obama in 2010, Mr. Boarman served until 2011 as the 26th Public Printer of the United States, the formal title for the CEO of the United States Government Printing Office, now the US Government Publishing Office (GPO). GPO provides our nation easy access to information for all three branches of the US Government. Because of his background as a practical printer, he played a key role in guiding GPO during pivotal years of transition to a state-of-the-art facility.

Born June 30, 1946, in Washington, D.C., Mr. Boarman is a graduate of Northwestern High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. During his senior year of high school in 1964 he tried out for the school play on a whim. To his amazement, the theater director selected Bill for the starring role of the Music Man. Bill played Harold Hill to great acclaim, and his classmates still refer to him as, "The Music Man".

He took a four-year apprenticeship with the International Typographical Union (ITU) out of high school, and became a journeyman printer at McArdle Printing in Washington, D.C. In 1974, Mr. Boarman began his career as a proofreader at the GPO and eventually moved up to Linotype operator. He quickly became a shop steward and at age 30 was elected president of the Columbia Typographical Union, Local 101, his home local and a craft union that traces its beginning to before the Civil War.

Mr. Boarman was serving on the ITU executive board in 1987 where he was a key player in that organization's merger with the Communication Workers of America. He was elected to head the ITU as it moved to merger, and he subsequently became head of CWA's Printing Sector.

As the chief executive of the newly-merged organization, Mr. Boarman oversaw bargaining and organizing in the printing industry, also serving as chair of the $1 billion CWA/ITU Negotiated Pension Plan and the $125 million counterpart serving Canadian printers. His experience with pension investing, funding and administration led to his appointment to a number of high-level pension policy councils.

Over the span of his career, Bill was a fierce advocate for workers rights. He was frequently in attendance at Labor Rallies across the country, marching with Cesar Chavez in San Diego in 1990 and supporting Richard Trumka at the Detroit News Building during the Newspaper Strike in 1996.

After his retirement from GPO in 2012, Mr. Boarman remained committed to public service. He was appointed by Maryland's governor to serve on both the Maryland Commission on Judicial Disabilities and the Anne Arundel Board of Elections.

Mr. Boarman was a friend to all and a mentor to many. He was an avid boater who loved his home port on the Severn River and enjoyed the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay. He had a keen understanding of American History and thrived on lively political discussions. He loved sports, in particular University of Maryland basketball and the Washington Football team. He will be sorely missed by the many people who loved him and looked forward to his regular "catch up" phone calls.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 32 years, Mary Frances Boarman in 2008; his parents, Julien Norbert Boarman and Mary Frances Edwards Boarman. He is survived by his daughter Lauren Boarman, his son Christopher Roebuck, his longtime partner, Linda McNamara and her daughter Annie Rice; one sister, Nancy Boarman; and brothers James, Dennis and Larry Boarman; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Family and friends may visit on Monday, August 30, 2021 from 2-4pm and 6-9pm at Barranco Severna Park Funeral Home & Cremation Care, P.A., 495 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park, MD, 21146. A Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, August 31, 2021 at 11am At Our Lady of the Fields Roman Catholic Church, 1070 Cecil Avenue, Millersville, MD, 21108. The service will be livestreamed and can be viewed on:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfNUTMqgHDMM-tmZ-omihJA

To help prevent the spread of Covid-19, the family recommends wearing a mask or face covering to the visitation and service.