William J. “Jay” Bolin ’41

William J. “Jay” Bolin ’41 died peacefully at his home in Vinton, Iowa, July 23 following a long illness. Bolin was born Aug. 16, 1919, in the small zinc mining town of Mascot, Tenn., the son of Dr. H.J. and Stella Dykes Bolin. He married his high school sweetheart, Susan Buchanan, in Knoxville, Tenn., on Feb. 7, 1942. He is survived by his wife of 69 years, Susan Bolin, 207 Lutheran Home Ct., Vinton, IA 52349-1684; daughters, Cindy Elwick (Mike) and Barbara Bolin; son, W.J. “Bill” Bolin III (friend, Patty Meixner); six grandchildren, Chris Elwick (Julie), Dawn Rall (Tim), Brian Elwick (Kristi), W.J. “Bill” Bolin IV, Kevin Bolin (Jennifer), and Jeff Bolin; and nine great-grandchildren, Karra, Kaila, and Koen Elwick, Sam, Simon, and Sydney Rall, and Madison, Cyrus, and Victoria Elwick. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, Herbert Julian “Bill” Bolin II ’40, and his sister, Elnora Bolin Hill. Bolin graduated Davidson in 1941, where he excelled in football and baseball. At Davidson, he was inducted into the honorary leadership and service fraternity, Omicron Delta Kappa, was an outstanding marksman and leader in the ROTC, and was captain and “outstanding back” of the football team his senior year. After graduation in 1941, Bolin enlisted in the U.S. Army and served as a major in the infantry as a weapons instructor until his discharge in 1946. After his tour of duty, he joined the American Zinc Company and remained with the firm until his retirement in 1984, working out of Columbus, Ohio, and later, St. Louis, Mo. He was an elder in the Vinton Presbyterian Church, a member of the George G. Luckey American Legion Post, the Vinton Lions Club, Aladdin Shrine of Columbus, Ohio, a 32nd degree mason with a 50-year award from Ohio Grand Lodge of Free Masons, a State of Missouri Master Gardener, and past president of the St. Louis Paint and Coatings Association. In his leisure time, he enjoyed gardening, golf, cards, following the stock market, Davidson, Tennessee, and Missouri football, cooking funnel cakes in the Lions Club trailer, and traveling and spending special times with Susan and Barbara.