Michael Ray Bolden

On May 9, 1952, the Heavens opened on a beautiful spring day in

San Diego for Michael Ray Bolden. He was the fifth child born to

Frances LeEtta Bolden-Moore and Shelton C. Moore and even as a

youngster, Michael (Mike) had a big heart and a giving spirit.

He was educated in the Sweetwater Unified School district from

elementary until his graduation from high school. Mike was

“100% boy” with a love of the great outdoors and an adventurous

nature. In his early years, he acquired a love for fishing, swimming,

hunting and Kun-Fu, karate. Mike liked going to the J Street Pier

to hunt for crabs and frogs.

His love for the outdoors was apparent by the things he loved to

do; he was in the Boy Scouts, Troops #822 and he was a life guard

at Mission Bay and he loved to go swimming at Las Palmas Pool.

And despite never taking a Karate class, Mike declared himself

a black belt in the art. You never knew when he’d spring on your

from a hiding place in the house with a karate chop to the body

yelling “hiya”.

Everyone would just duck and run away trying not to get hit by the

self-proclaimed martial arts expert especially his favorite target,

Shelly. His imitations of Bruce Lee would make everyone laugh.

One of Mike’s favorite pastimes was watching movies at home like

Hercules with Steve Reeves or any movie that featured Bruce Lee.

But if you sat down to watch a movies with Mike, he would tell you

everything about it before you saw it for yourself. When he wasn’t

watching movies, you’d find him listening to music. Mike always

played with his stereo set in the garage - this is how you knew

whether if he was home or not.

His favorite songs were “The World is a Ghetto” and “Slipping into

Darkness” by the group “War”.

Mike met the love of his life, Trina Sessom, and this union created a

wonderful son they named, Michael D Bolden, fondly called, “Mikey”

by family and friends. He loved his family with all of his heart and soul.

This young pair became partners and life, love and work.

Together, Trina and Mike managed an apartment complex in San

Diego while raising a wonderful son. He was also employed at EDCO

Disposal starting in 1971 as a sanitation truck drive and foreman.

Mike was a “kid at heart” and he loved watching everyone’s children,

especially his own nieces and nephews. He is warmly remembered

for making his famous pancakes and drinking himself a cup of coffee.

Mike owned two cars and they were his favorites, his beloved Z-28 and

an orange Charger.

He will be remembered as a strong, wonderfully kind individual who

grew into a man and father who provided love, support and humor to

all of us.

On Wednesday, April 18, 2018, the trumpets blew, the angels

rejoiced as the Heavens opened up a chariot descended and Michael

Ray Bolden boarded it to glory. He was preceded in death by his

mother, Frances L. Moore and father, Shelton C. Moore. His loving

partner, Trina Sessom; two sisters, Shirley Barry and Elizabeth Calles,

and brother, Shelton C. Moore Jr. all of San Diego, CA.

He leaves to forever cherish his memory his loving son, Michael D.

Bolden, his two brothers, John (Tyna) Bolden, Sr. and Herbert

(Beatriz) Bolden of San Diego, CA; sisters, Sandy Johns of Las Ve-

gas, NV, and Patricia (Edwin) Lee, Katherine (Donald) Davis, Shelly

Moore of San Diego, CA and Kimberly Lynn White of Lake Elisnore;

and a host of loving nieces, nephews, cousins, other relative and many

friends.