Bockey family helping out Thomas Edison

CINDY WOOD/independent feature writer

Smile. Just smile. It’s a simple gesture, really. Sadly, though, it’s a gesture that oftentimes gets lost in the day-to-day grind of life, and all the responsibilities that come with it.

But for Kenny Bockey, a smile meant everything. And when there were days that he undoubtedly didn’t feel like smiling, he did it anyway.

That smile is what his sister, Diana Rennie, remembers most about him.

“He was just the happiest guy, and he always, always had a smile on his face, no matter what,” Rennie said. “Whenever we think of him, we can’t help but smile. He just was funny, without even knowing he was being funny. We just miss him so much.”

The sentiment is echoed by those fortunate enough to have known Bockey, who was one of the original clients served by the Thomas Edison facility in Van Wert. Bockey was the fourth of 11 children born to Walter and Anna Jean Bockey of Van Wert County. It was 1956, and at that time, there were no services available for children born with Down syndrome. Oftentimes, they were simply placed in an institution. And that’s exactly what doctors advised for Bockey.

“My parents wanted nothing to do with that,” Rennie said, adding “they wanted to raise him at home with the rest of us, so that’s what they did.”

With such a large family, the children were expected to help around the farm, Bockey included.

“We had a very large garden, and that’s where all of our vegetables came from. We had a fruit orchard and every now and then, Dad would butcher a cow, and we had chickens, so we were pretty self-sufficient,” Rennie said, adding that Bockey spent much of his free time in the garden.

“He loved to be in the garden, and help pot the peas and snap the ends off the green beans. He just wanted to help, and with such a large family, we were all just expected to help,” Rennie said.

Bockey enjoyed a simple, but satisfying life on the family farm. He loved anything and everything that involved sports, and he was a regular fixture at Delphos St. John’s sporting events, proudly watching his siblings and cheering them on.

When the Thomas Edison Center opened in Van Wert in the late 1960s, Bockey found a home away from home, and quickly became involved in the programs and services that, up until that time, had not been offered locally.

“He went there regularly, and he loved playing basketball for the Thomas Edison Tigers,” Rennie said, adding that Bockey also took part in bowling for many years and was heavily involved in Special Olympics.

Bockey spent many years at Thomas Edison, living for a brief time in the center’s group home before his physical ailments and health demands required him to have round-the-clock care in a long-term care facility.

“He just needed to have his medicines monitored regularly, and, by this time, my parents were into their 60s and 70s and were having their own health issues,” Rennie said.

The Bockey family feels extremely blessed to have grown up with such a loving and caring brother, and Rennie said they are extremely grateful for the opportunities that Thomas Edison provided their sibling. “It’s just such a tremendous facility, and we really wanted to honor Kenny in a way that would benefit others,” Rennie said.

After Bockey’s passing, the family got together and thought about ways they could give back to the organization that had helped Bockey for so many years. To that end, the Bockey family has coordinated a 5K run and 1-mile fun walk that will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday, September 27, at Hiestand Woods Park on Hospital Drive in Van Wert.

The public is invited to participate and those interested can preregister at www.kickinup4downs.wordpress.com. There is a $25 registration fee, and those registered prior to Sept. 13 will receive a race t-shirt. Rennie stressed that anyone interested can also register the morning of the event.

All proceeds from the event will benefit Thomas Edison, in memory and honor of Kenny Bockey.

The event is the family’s way to give back to Thomas Edison, which served their brother for so many years, as well as bring awareness to Down syndrome and people who are developmentally disabled. “This will help let people know that they don’t have to be afraid of disabled people,” Rennie said. “This whole journey with Kenny has made me so much more accepting, and patient, and a better person really. And we want to honor Kenny and what he taught us.”

For the family, that has been trust, understanding, patience, and, above all else, love.

“Kenny had an unconditional love for everyone,” Rennie said. “He didn’t care if you won the game or lost, who scored the most points, or whatever. He didn’t care. He loved you no matter what.”

Kenny Bockey passed away on November 10, 2013, at age 57, leaving behind a legacy of love and laughter, and, most importantly, life lessons for all those who knew him.

“He taught us so much, and taught us lessons that he didn’t even know he was teaching us,” Rennie said. “He just lit up the room, and was so funny and just made people feel good. We’re lucky to have had him as long as we did, and very fortunate to learn the lessons that we did.”