4 days ago
'Good person': Homeless man who Bridgewater rallied around has died. Who was Greg Bobst?
Greg Bobst, a well-known figure in Bridgewater often seen around the center of town in a hockey jersey, has died.
Many residents knew who he was and would stop and chat with him.
Bobst spent most of his time in Bridgewater Central Square, according to police, where he was a familiar face to the community who cared about him.
Recently, Bobst could be seen riding around town on a new electric bike that he bought with funds raised by a GoFundMe campaign, according to its organizer.
Bobst, who was homeless, left his residence in February of 2024 to live on the streets of Bridgewater after a dispute with his landlord and another tenant, The Enterprise previously reported. He ended up living in a tent near a construction site.
The Enterprise and The Boston Globe previously wrote about Bobst getting a second chance, as a Bridgewater family and the police rallied around him.
"It's hell to be homeless," Bobst told an Enterprise reporter in April.
Bridgewater Police Lt. Scott Hile said people all over town knew who Bobst was and checked in on him.
"The fire department would give him water. Everybody knew who he was and would stop and say hi to him," Hile said.
'Most of the police department knew Greg and have known him for years," Hile said. "Our relationship was good.'
"We knew him to always be around town in a hockey jersey," Hile said. "We'd wave and say hi. We were always able to interact with him in a positive manner."
On July 1, Bobst died after being transported to the hospital by the Bridgewater Fire Department, according to Hile.
'He was a good person,' Hile said.
Greg Bobst's story Homeless man gets second chance as Bridgewater family, cops rally around him
Why did Bobst leave his home?
In April, The Enterprise spoke to Bobst and Rachel Kadis, a member of the Bridgewater family that took him in temporarily, about his life before he lived in a tent. Kadis said he was renting a room in Bridgewater on Main Street for five years. But, she said, a dispute took place between the landlord, Bobst and another tenant. In just days, Bobst was living on the streets in a tent, she said.
Kadis invited Bobst into her home and by April 1, he had a room in her unfinished basement. Bobst lived there until he "abruptly" left on May 18, Kadis said in an email to The Enterprise on July 10.
Community rallied around Bobst
When Bridgewater Police found Bobst trying to stay warm at a private laundromat, Bridgewater Police K9 Sgt. Steve Kingsley and Lt. John Hennessey III didn't just kick him out and leave it at that. Instead, they reached into their own pockets.
"Kingsley paid for a hotel at the Marriott Residence Inn and Hennessey brought him a coat to keep warm," Police Chief Chris Delmonte told The Enterprise in April.
"Other officers didn't know more officers were helping out Bobst. They would bring him food and clothing," Delmonte said in April.
And Crispi's, an Italian restaurant in Bridgewater, offered to provide Bobst with a fresh meal every Wednesday.
The GoFundMe campaign
Kadis started a GoFundMe for Bobst titled, "Support Greg's Journey to Stability" on March 11, 2025. She shared Bobst's situation on Facebook. The more she shared, the more people were listening and donating to Bobst's GoFundMe, The Enterprise reported in April.
According to Kadis and the GoFundMe page, the campaign raised $17,800.
With reporting by Hailey Clevenger.
Staff writer Kathy Bossa can be reached by email at kbossa@ Support local journalism by purchasing a digital or print subscription to The Enterprise today.
This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Greg Bobst has died, Bridgewater homeless man town rallied around
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