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John Henry Bolles
July 28, 1925 - January 1, 2022
Hamilton, Georgia
On January 1, 2022, John Henry Bolles, 76, passed away in his home surrounded by his beloved family. His celebration service to honor his life and his Savior will be held at Edgewood Baptist Church in Columbus, Georgia on January 23 at 2:00 pm with Pastor Jonathan Merritt officiating. The visitation will begin at 1:30 pm at the church.
John was born on July 28, 1945, in Ft. McClellan, Alabama to LTC Retired Ellsworth and Edith Bolles. Roll Tide! While young, he attended schools in various states due to being an Army brat. His favorite childhood duty station was Hawaii, where, at 12 years old, he set an American Record in the 100m Breaststroke. He was also named to the Pop Warner Midget All American Team during this time. The next stop was Ft. Benning, Georgia where John attended Baker High School and met the love of his life, Kathy Ball, “the best pair of legs he had ever seen!” While attending Baker, he was a four-year letterman in football receiving the Runningback of the Decade Award, as well as, the All Bi-City Runningback of the Year Award, two years running. He continued his education at Columbus Technical College earning a degree in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration. On a beautiful August afternoon, John and Kathy were married. That next year, on the day after Christmas, John boarded a sub tender as an enlisted man in the Navy. While on the ship, John set the record for the most consecutive situps and pushups. After returning, John went to work for Georgia Power Company where he had a very rewarding career of 35 years. He loved every minute and would often say, “Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.” After retiring, you could often find John shuttling his grandchildren, riding his tractor, driving his boat, or lending a helping hand. If there was a need, John was there to help which is right in line with his favorite Bible verse, Matthew 25:40. He was a member of Edgewood Baptist Church in Columbus where he proudly taught Sunday School to energetic fourth graders for over 20 years. Always handling adversity with a sense of humor, his most famous line was, “Everything is going to be okay.” John was a devoted family man, loving his family fiercely. He taught his family how to serve others, how to be patriotic and love our country, and how to work hard. But above all, John taught us how to love our Savior, Jesus Christ.
John is survived by his lovely wife of 55 years, Kathy Ball Bolles, his two humorous children John Jr. (Michele) and Jennifer Williams (Jeremy), and his six wonderful grandchildren: Carson, Devin, Josie, Connor, Landon, and Jacob. He is also survived by his awesome brother, James Bolles (Janice), as well as, many other fabulous family members.
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Catherine Ann Cameron (Bowden) (1972)
Kathy, John, Jennifer, James, and family.
I was so sorry to hear about John. He will be truly missed. He always had a smile & was so funny. My prayers and thoughts are with you.
Beth Hutchings (Stratigos) (1964)
Kathy and Family,
So very sorry to hear about John's passing. He was a very funny guy and fun to be around. He was also sweet and sincere and really well thought of in school. I know he will be terribly missed by all of you. May God bless all of your family in this loss.
Beth Stratigos (Hutchings)
Carolyn Hill (Taylor) (1964)
I was so sorry to hear about John. What an amazing person he was. We have lost another good man. Thoughts and prayers to the family.
Sincerely,
Carolyn Hill Taylor
Lenny Shores (1964)
Oh my. I’m broken hearted he is such a great friend! I will miss hime tremendously!!!
Gwenette Johnson (Garner) (1964)
Our prayers go out to Kathy and her family for their tremendous loss. Words cannot express our deepest sorrow for the passing of John Bolles. Our hearts are broken. We will always remember Kathy and John falling in love at Baker. We remember John's cheerful smile, spirited attitude, and a humorous way he told jokes which made them so funny. He was always a polite gentleman. We will best remember John in our Baker football games: 1964 John was the Most Valuable Player, Captain of the 1964 Baker football team, All State 1964, All Region 1964, All Bi-City 1964, and Best Running Back 1964.
At Baker 1964 John also was voted Most Popular, The Cutest, Best School Spirit, The Most School Spirt and Most Athletic. Yes, John Bolles was and still is OUR HERO. John was Coach Ball's son in law. (John married the Coaches daughter) Also recently known as a "Real Cheerleader" at the Baker High School Quarterly Luncheons! He will be truly missed by all of us at Baker High School.
With Loving Memories, Annette and Gwenette ( The 1964 Johnson Twins)
Jenee Wells (Todd) (1964)
Was saddened by the loss of another of our wonderful Baker classmates. John was such a big part of our high school years. My heart and prayers go out to Kathy and the entire Bolles family.
Susan Wise (Chriss) (1964)
Kathy so sorry for your loss. My thoughts and prayers are with you and family.
Susan (Wise) Chriss