Royce Bolin

Madison - Royce "Roy" Bolin, age 82, passed away at home surrounded by his loving family on May 14, 2012.
Roy was born in Long Prairie, Minnesota to parents George and Nellie Bolin on February 25, 1930. They moved to Cumberland, Wisconsin where he graduated from high school. In 1951 Roy entered the military where he served 14 months in Korea as a radio-teletype team leader. He was awarded a Bronze Star and Korean War Service medal for his service in Korea.
Upon returning home Roy enrolled at the UW - La Crosse. After graduation he taught high school at Black River Falls, WI and then went on to work with the Social Security Administration as a claims representative. Twenty nine years later Roy retired from Social Security as the assistant manager of the Madison District Office. Wanting to stay active he started part time work with DVR for twenty years before he decided to retire full time.
Roy enjoyed classical music, reading, politics and was an avid fan of the Badgers and Packers. Roy was dearly loved by his family and will be greatly missed by his wife of 57 years Beverly, his son Jeffery, daughter-in-law Suzanne and his grandchildren Brittany and Michael.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, May 18th, 2012 at 11:00am in the Ruth Solie dining room at Agrace Hospice Care, 5295 E. Cheryl Parkway, Fitchburg.
The family would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the staff at Agrace HospiceCare for the wonderful care provided to Roy. Memorial donations may be made in Royce's honor to Agrace HospiceCare.

Eulogy for My Father, written by Jeff Bolin

My father, my friend passed away at home surrounded by his loving family on May 14, 2012.

My father was a modest, private and humble man who taught me the value of honesty, loyalty, dedication and respect. This is highlighted by my father's 57 year marriage to my mother. He was a great family man whose number one priority was my mom, my family and I.

I have great respect for the fact that he dedicated nearly his entire life to serving the public. His main purpose was to ensure the disabled and retired citizens of this great nation are cared for in a fair and meaningful manner.

My father's public service began in 1951 when he entered the military. He served 14 months in Korea as a radio-teletype team leader. He was awarded a Bronze Star and Korean War Service medal for his service in Korea.

Upon returning home he enrolled at the UW - La Crosse. After graduation he taught high school for a few years and then went on to work with the Social Security Administration where he worked for twenty nine years. Wanting to stay active and continue to help others, he started to work part time for the DVR which he did for an additional twenty years before he decided to retire full time.

My father took a great deal of pride in everything he did. This pride was exhibited in the work place and at home. Whether it was the quality of his work, or the beauty in his yard, the end result was always perfect.

What did my father mean to me? He meant unconditional love and support.

He was the most kind and gentle man I've ever known.

He was always there for me. Whether it was to provide a loving hand in whatever project I was working on, or in support of whatever crazy adventure I was on. This dedication continued in his love and support of his grandchildren. No matter what the activity, or how he felt, he always had time to come see his grandchildren.

Dad was always accepting of me, no matter what I choose to do. From my early attempts to be a basketball player to my pursuits as a musician, he never discouraged me from doing whatever I wanted to do. Later in life he continued his supportive ways by never discouraging us from making several moves away from Madison even though this meant less time together with his family.

My father was my mentor. He was the one I always spoke with about matters of life. We would often get into in-depth conversations about my job, business, politics, or sports. I always valued his wisdom and always looked up to him. The learning from him never stopped.

I have many memories of my dad as I can truly say he was my best friend. We always did things together. This was true my entire life.



My many memories of my father include:

- The many jokes and laughter we shared together

- "The Roy Talk" If I messed up or did something wrong, I wasn't punished in the traditional sense but rather with "The Roy Talk" which always left me wondering "Jeez Jeff, what the heck were you thinking". This is a trait that is instilled in me as my children can attest. It's till affectionately called "The Roy Talk".

- Watching my children at their school and sporting events. No distance was too great for dad to travel to see his grandchildren at play.

- I remember Friday night at the races always rooting for the underdog.

- Shooting Pool league together. You were always the best shot, our "closer".

- Attending Badger football games and tailgates together for more than 20 years and attending the Rose Bowl together in 1993.

I am forever thankful and will always cherish the time we had together. We had our share of fun and I will never forget these great moments in my life.

Dad, you were a great father and my best friend, your unconditional love and support shaped the man I am today. You will be dearly missed.

Love Jeff


Life Lessons
You may have thought I didn't see,
Or that I hadn't heard,
Life lessons that you taught to me,
But I got every word.
Perhaps you thought I missed it all,
And that we'd grow apart,
But Dad, I picked up everything,
It's written on my heart.
Without you, Dad, I wouldn't be
The man I am today;
You built a strong foundation
No one can take away.
I've grown up with your values,
And I'm very glad I did;
So here's to you, dear father,
From your forever grateful kid.
By Joanna Fuchs