Obituaries : W. J. 'Jay' Bolin

Vinton—W.J. “Jay” Bolin died peacefully at his home in Vinton Saturday, July 23, 2011, following a long illness.

Jay was born August 16, 1919 in the small zinc mining town of Mascot, TN, the son of Dr. H.J. and Stella Dykes Bolin. He married his high school sweetheart, Susan Buchanan, in Knoxville, TN, on February 7, 1942.

Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at the Vinton Presbyterian Church with Gene Spicer, CLP, officiating. Visistation will be 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home, Vinton, and an hour before service time at the church on Wednesday. Burial at Evergreen Cemetery, Vinton, with military rites by the Iowa Military Funeral Honors and the Geo. G. Luckey American Legion Post.

Jay is survived by his wife of 69 years, Susan, daughters Cindy (Mike) Elwick and Barbara Bolin, son W.J. “Bill” Bolin III and friend Patty Meixner, all of Vinton; six grandchildren, Chris (Julie) Elwick, Decatur, IL, Dawn (Tim) Rall, Neenah, WI, Brian (Kristi) Elwick, Vinton, W.J. “Bill” Bolin IV, Atlanta, GA, Kevin (Jennifer) Bolin and Jeff Bolin, St. Louis, MO; nine great grandchildren, Karra, Kaila and Koen Elwick, Sam, Simon and Sydney Rall and Madison, Cyrus and Victoria Elwick.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, H.J. “Bill” Bolin II and his sister, Elnora Bolin Hill.

Jay graduated from Knoxville, TN, High School in 1937 and from Davidson College, Davidson, NC, 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, Jay 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, OH 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, the Vinton Country Club, Aladdin Shrine of Columbus, OH, a 32ndDegree mason with a fifty 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.

A memorial fund has been established.

Van Steenhuyse-Russell Funeral Home is caring for Jay and his family. Online condolences may be left at www.vsrfh.com.