Temple

We recently lost our friend and colleague, Bo Temple, following a 13-year battle with cancer.

Bo was born in Virginia, attended the Virginia Military Institute, and with the unfailing support of his wife of 41 years, Nancy, rose to the rank of Major General during his U.S. Army career before retiring in 2012.

During his military career, Bo served in numerous duty locations stateside and overseas including Korea, Germany, Operations Desert Storm and Iraq. He was an exceptionally successful leader having been picked to command two of the Army’s most active and prestigious of all Army Engineer units, the 307th Engineer Battalion of the 82nd Airborne Division and later the 20th Engineer Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps both at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. During those troop assignments, Bo developed a reputation for firm, fair, and caring leadership under the most challenging of situations. He treated all with dignity and respect which endeared him to his soldiers and continued to be his hallmark for the remainder of his military career and during his many post-retirement activities.

Following Bo’s troop assignments, he was promoted to General Officer and was selected for the most senior leadership positions within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) culminating with his assignment as Acting Commander, USACE / Chief of Engineers. Bo tackled each and every difficult assignment with a clear vision; a selfless and steady style; and an unwavering determination to position the Corps to best meet Nation’s needs to support the active military, manage its water-based infrastructure, and provide emergency response to natural and other disasters.

He was the Corps’ longest-serving Acting Commander. Not willing to, and not in a position to exercise mere caretaker responsibilities until the new commander arrived, Bo took charge, as a commander would. He led the Corps through a very challenging period, both domestically and globally without having the benefit of an assigned Deputy to share the workload demands. More remarkably, Bo had been diagnosed with cancer, but he requested no special considerations or accommodations. With the support of Nancy and his family, he was able to lead the Corps while handling the numerous surgeries and chemotherapy sessions without skipping a beat and displaying remarkable courage, perseverance, determination, and optimism which characterized the Bo Temple we all came to know and admire as a friend and colleague.

After retiring from active duty, Bo continued his contributions to his engineering profession through his valuable support to both our National Academy of Construction and the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE) and its Industry Leaders’ Council. He was actively sought out for advice about the challenges facing the profession and the nation’s infrastructure. He never refused a request for help and was exceptionally generous with his time. He remained active in business serving on several corporate and non-profit boards and was an active Senior Advisor to Dawson and Associates tackling some of the most demanding challenges associated with key energy infrastructure projects. Through all, Bo continued to quietly but optimistically battle cancer that would not release its hold.

Bo received many of the most prestigious military awards and was recognized with ASCE’s 2010 OPAL Award for lifetime achievement in government and the U. S. Army Engineer Association’s 2014 Gold Order of the de Fleury Medal but his devotion to Nancy and his family and the warmth and kindness he shared with all those with whom he interacted will be how we will remember him.

By Rick Capka, Class of 2010

 

From our Members:

“Major General (RET) Bo Temple was a great leader, friend, and mentor. His distinguished military and civilian career was extraordinary and positively impacted the lives of everyone he touched. We served together in the US Army Corps of Engineers and shared many life long memories. He and Nancy’s friendship with my wife Sandra and I will always be treasured. He will always be in our hearts and prayers.”

Eugene (Gene) Ban, NAC 2017

“MG Temple: You were a tireless leader that always served this Nation so graciously. Your tireless energy, dedication, and positive attitude are only a few of the things I admired about you and that I will always remember. Rest In Peace for a life well-lived.”

James Dalton, NAC 2013