It is with great sadness and distress that the family of John (Jack) Allan Bolen announces the unexpected death of their loved one.
Jack was born May 19, 1951 to the late Donald and Peggy Bolen of Stratton, Ont. He passed away Friday, Aug. 31 in Dolisie, Republic of Congo, Africa at age 61.
Jack was a world-travelled and very experienced geologist/consultant who held his professional geoscientist status. He had graduated from both Sault Ste. Marie College in Ontario and Lake Superior State University in Michigan.
After graduating from college before he turned 18 years of age, Jack had to wait two months before he was old enough to work. His first job in geology was in Quebec later that summer.
He doubled up his university courses and graduated a four-year program one-and-a-half years early, obtaining his B.Sc. in geology. He worked for more than a decade for Sherritt Gordon Mines north of Lynn Lake, Man. and then went to Botswana, Africa for two years working for CIDA on a Canadian project.
He spoke often of his love for Africa and of the many friends he made during his career. He also loved working in Mexico and his visits to exotic countries around the world.
In recent years, Jack worked in Red Lake and in Guyana, South America before taking on a project in the Congo. If one was to include all of the things Jack did and all of the places he worked in this notice, it would fill much of this newspaper.
Jack was one of those individuals who could strike up an interesting conversation with everyone he met, and he had an amazingly quick wit and a wonderful sense of humour. Those who knew Jack, even for a very short time, valued his easy-going friendship, wonderful stories of his travels and his life, and his devoted teaching of everything he knew about geology to many, many young people.
The young people who worked for Jack all called him the best boss they ever had, both in this country and everywhere he went.
His love for family was all-expansive; it knew absolutely no bounds and those he loved knew it. As a husband there was no equal, as a father he was exceptional, and as a friend he was a compassionate, loving man who gave his all.
Jack’s chosen career always was getting hit by crashing markets during the 1980s, tough markets in the ’90s, and another crash in this decade. Jobs either were very scarce or he was in high demand. Somehow, through all those times, Jack never lost his love for geology and stayed with his occupation even though many of his colleagues left in search of jobs that held more financial security.
At the time of Jack’s death, there were very few of Jack’s geological peers in Canada who still were practising their chosen occupation. Those who had earned their full professional geoscientist status like Jack had done are now highly-valued and very hard to find.
Jack also enjoyed meeting with his coffee buddies at Kettle’s restaurant in Fort Frances when he could. He often spoke of the banter there which gave him a sense of community. He loved coaching his Little League baseball team while in Lynn Lake, and he also was a palliative care volunteer.
Those who mourn Jack’s death are his wife, Teresa (Scott) of Fort Frances, Ont.; their daughter, Alice, who is attending university in Montreal; more son than stepson, Bill VanDrunen (Penny) and grandson, Max, of Crozier, Ont.; brother, Donald (Cynthia) of Stratton, Ont.; nephew, Ryan Bolen of Ottawa, Ont.; and nieces, Heidi (Ken Kreger) of Emo, Ont., Kim Olson of Stratton, Ont., and Lisa Wutzke (Matt) of Winnipeg, Man.
He also is survived by his brother’s five little grandsons, Cole and his twin brothers, Blake and Alexzander, of Emo, Ont. and Benjamin and Lucas of Stratton, Ont.
Jack also is survived by his aunts, Kay Cameron of Thunder Bay, Ont. and Annie (Melvin Armstrong) of Stratton, Ont.; uncle, Carl Bolen (Valerie) of Atikokan, Ont.; as well as numerous cousins.
It was Jack’s wish that his family send him off with just a wake. It is planned for Monday, Sept. 10, 2012 at the Stratton Millennium Hall at 2 p.m., where the music he loved will be heard, his life celebrated, and a luncheon will be held.
His remains will be interred later after they arrive back in Canada.
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