We are so thankful for all of you that have been a part of our father's life and we would like for you to join us on Friday, November 6th 2015 @ 2:30 PM at Bay Pines National Cemetery in St. Petersburg Florida.  We are having a gathering afterwards to celebrate his life !  We will be working on accomodations that will allow family and friends time to celebrate.  Following out his wishes which is to have those who can make it come and enjoy a few hours over a few stories, smiles,laughs and a toast or two.  

Dad wished to be placed to rest in a military fashion. We are having a full military service and burial for him.  Please contact Doug or me either by phone 8134665692 at home, cell 8138424241 or email to lpallad@tampabay.rr.com.    We hope that you pass this along to those that we may have not been able to reach yet.  We look forward to this special occassion.  
This will fulfill the one request and that is to allow him to rest in peace and help our family share his amazing life with those who meant the most in his life.  
Thank you -
Lori Palladino- Don's daughter.  

 The following is a copy of his eulogy:

My Father-in-law, Don "Boss" Bossa was a very talented and gracious man, it is with heavy heart that I post this (his eulogy) which is as much a celebration of his life as it is a mourning of his death. I believe he would have wanted it this way.

He is survived by his son Bill and daughter Lori as well as his two sisters Barbara and Nancy. Donald Smith Bossa was born on 4-22-35 to Harold Bossa and Dorothy Hope Smith, who have American born relatives dating back to the Revolutionary war. Harold was a banker, Dorothy a housewife. Don attended public schools where he played intramural  & varsity sports. He graduated H.S. in 1953 and attended the University of Vermont. Don enlisted in the Naval reserve, and was recalled to Active duty where he was assigned to the USS Soley DD-707 Sumner class Destroyer. He attended Radarman "A" school in Norfolk VA and graduated 7th out of 75 in his class. He had an appointment to the Naval Academy Prep School but chose to be an enlisted man. Don spent 2 years on active duty and made several deployments to the Medeterranean with the Soley and was a veteran of the Korean war. He was released from active duty in 1956 and went on to finish his Navy Reserve commitment and was honorably discharged in  1961. During this time he attended the University of Bridgeport  and earned his Associate degree in Industrial Design.  Don married Doreen Henderson in 1957 and had Bill in 1961 and Lori in 1963.

Don was a Volunteer Fireman, ambulance driver & crewmember Fire truck foreman. He attended medical classes for EMT service and worked for Barnes engineering company where he was the lead artist/Illustrator for Space craft instruments for the Mercury Program to the Apollo Moon exploration. He was a member of the "power squadron" and was awarded the "Man of the Year" award for his art work used for fund raising.  Don was an association officer for candlewood heights HOA from 1972-74. They moved to Florida in 1974 where he owned and managed a 56 unit Adult Mobile home park and earned a class "A" Wastewater Operator License and class "B" potable water License. He then became a lead plant mechanic for a 12 million gpd Daytona Beach Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant. Later he worked as a liaison rep for the city in construction of "Tertiary" advanced Treatment facility in Daytona Beach from 1978-1980. From 1980-1995 don became the Senior Staff Artist for Perkin-Elmer Corp/Hughes aircraft electro-optical div of General Motors. His support artwork, design for publications and proposal illustrations contributed to the design of the Hubble space telescope in use today.

Don was involved in numerous community involvement projects and professional interests.  Just to name a few:

-Real estate broker-Connecticut

-Industrial design society

-Private Pilots License

-Nutmegger's  Soaring Club

-Experimental aircraft Association

-NRA member

-Coast Guard Aux volunteer

-Class "B" Comm Drivers License (School bus Driver)

-Chairman Board of trustees (United Methodists of Woodbury CT)

-Elks & Eagles Social Club member

-25 yr member of American Legion

 In closing, my father-in law was a very kind and outgoing man, someone I could look up to and aspire to achieve his many accomplishments in life. He will be sorely missed, God bless his soul.