Arthur E. Bullard

Arthur Bullard Obituary Arthur Edward Bullard, also known as Art, Bro, Uncle Art, Uncle Bro and Grandaddy was born on August 20, 1927 in Waycross, Georgia to John Bullard and Rosa Ouida Benefield Bullard. His father worked as a porter on the railroad and his mother was a domestic worker. While his parents worked, his oldest sister Mildred was always in charge of him and his youngest sister Ethel Ruth. One time he kept leaving the yard and she fixed him by tying him to a tree. Art was educated in the Waycross School System graduating from Center High School in 1948. While in high school he played football, baseball, basketball, and tennis. He learned how to play golf when he worked as a caddy. He left high school at the end of his junior year (1945) to join the Army Air Corps (now known as the Air Force) during World War II. While in the military, he was stationed at the following bases: Anderson, AL, El Paso, TX, Sacramento, CA and Roswell, NM. He was Honorably Discharged on March 28, 1947, and went back to Waycross to finish high school. After finishing high school, he applied and was accepted at North Carolina A & T State University in the fall of 1948. His sister, Ruth, was down the street at Bennett College. He used the GI Bill to pay for college and worked as a waiter to earn extra money. During this time, he met his roommate Linwood Smith and developed a lifelong friendship. He obtained his Bachelor of Science degree with a major in Physical Education and History in 1953. After graduation, he moved to Cleveland, Ohio to live with his sister Mildred and her husband Willie. Art was a hard worker and had many jobs over the years. He began working at the age of 14 at the Green Frog Restaurant taking orders in the parking lot. He also sold sandwiches on the trains. His first job out of college was with the U. S. Post Office delivering mail in Cleveland. During this time period, he was invited to a party. At the party he met a young lady named Margaret Chillison, and they started dating, fell in love, and within a year, on her birthday in 1959, he proposed. They were married August 15, 1959, at Quinn Chapel A.M.E. Church in Ironton, Ohio. To this union was born their precious daughter, their only child, Kathy Lynne. He continued his career in public service working as a building inspector for the City of Cleveland, Director of Lead Paint for the City of East Cleveland before retiring in 1996 with the Cleveland Metropolitan Housing Authority (CMHA) as a supervisor in Section 8. After retirement, he worked in Parma helping organize the Section 8 department. He also became property manager for Carl Cocita who he met while working at CMHA until he could not drive anymore. He also volunteered at Sunbeam School in their cafeteria for many years. Family was very important to Margaret and Art. They believed in celebrating all birthdays, holidays and milestones with excitement and fanfare. Margaret and Art adored and doted on their grandsons, Jordan and Matthew, teaching and playing games, and taking them on all kinds of outings and attending their sporting and school events. As they grew older, they became his Uber friends for life going to Cousins Cigar Store and Sheliga Drug Store, where everybody knew his name to buy his lottery tickets. Werner United Methodist Church was a second home to Margaret and Art. They joined the church in 1959 where Art became a member of the United Methodist Men’s (UMM) group. He held the offices of secretary, treasurer and president for life. He helped organize Men’s Day, bowling parties, fish fries and the Men’s 1st Sunday breakfast. He would invite the young men starting at the age of 10 to join the men as they made breakfast. During this time, he would share his wisdom and knowledge with them. He formed deep and lasting friendships with Floyd Washington, Sam Jones and Leroy McCoggle, to name a few. He continued to keep the UMM going when Werner and East Glenville UMC became Celebration UMC. At Celebration he assisted with the Food Pantry. He was the unofficial “greeter” each Sunday morning in his favorite chair by the Café and front door. His other passion was North Carolina A & T State University. His college roommate, Linwood Smith and other alumni formed the Cleveland Alumni Group June 4, 1961, and he immediately became involved. He looked forward to their meetings that were usually held at members’ homes and he and Margaret would go all out when it was at their house. He enjoyed going to homecoming and on his last trip invited his son-in-law Shep and Darrell Claytor to join him. He enjoyed politics. He regularly attended Cleveland City Council meetings and knew many of the African American movers and shakers in Cleveland. In his later years he would watch MSNBC, CNN and the national news (rather loudly). He also read as many newspapers as possible and called on people just to check and see how they were doing. Arthur was preceded in death by his wife Margaret, his parents Rosa and John Bullard, sister & brother-in-law Mildred and Willie Simon, sister Ethel Ruth, cousin/sister Lucille Handy, nephew Rickey Simon, sister-in-law and brother-in-law Betty and Harold Gordon, nephew Harold Gordon II, bonus brothers Floyd Washington (Cora), Samuel Jones (Minnie Belle) and Leroy McCoggle (Katherine), Linwood Smith; bonus son Robert W. Thompson II and bonus daughter Karen Washington Christian. He leaves to cherish his memory his daughter Kathy Lynne (Shepherd); Grandsons Jordan, Matthew (Danielle); brother-in-Law Leroy P. Wesby; nieces Susan (Glenn), Kathy, Rhonda (Leonardo), Lori; nephews Darryl (Mildred), Thomas “Tommy” (Mirjana); great nieces & nephews James (Kendra), Jasmyne (Adrianna), Randy, Jessica, Darius, Janae, Jalen; a host of Bullard cousins in Orlando, Atlanta, Tennessee, Michigan and New Jersey; bonus children: Pam Washington Hampton, Lori Washington Ruffin, Dean Jones (Bettyna), Ronald Jones and Mary Jones, Phyllis Renee McCoggle, Terry (Sarah), Sherree (Ronald), Randy (Zakiya), William, Staci (Jamil), Jacob, Justin, Skylar, Joshua; Special Friends The Cocita Family, John Jones, Reverend and Wilma Roberson, Maggie Jackson, Gloria Allen-Levert, Vera and Ben Thompson; and all those he mentored and befriended throughout his life. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Arthur E. Bullard, please visit our floral store. Read More

Arthur E. Bullard

August 20, 1927 - September 7, 2024