Per Axel Bolang

Per was the eldest of four siblings. His parents, Axel Johan and Erika Helena (Hallberg) Bolang owned a general store. The family lived above the store, and Per spent his childhood helping with deliveries and displays, while completing his primary education.

An avid traveler, his first adventure was a bicycle trip through Sweden and Norway, just after the war, with his brother Nils. Per then began his secondary education, earning his mechanical engineering degree in Norrköping and after graduation, completed his basic required military service. While serving, he was drafted for officer training and as a second lieutenant, served as a tank commander in the Swedish National Guard.

Per’s first engineering employment was with a small manufacturing company, which built machinery for farming and cotton mills. In 1952, he moved to Saab Aircraft in Linköping as a design engineer on the Saab 32 Lansen for the Swedish Airforce.

That same year, on a blind date, Per met an RN named Inga-Lisa Wihlborg. They fell in love and were married in 1953. Their first two children, Karin and Anders, were born in Linköping.

In 1958, Per was recruited by the Convair Aircraft Company to work on their 880/990 jetliners. Per always admired Inga for being the brave one urging the move. They left Sweden with their two young children at the end of that year and immigrated to the United States.

After settling in San Diego California, it didn’t take long for Inga and Per to discover the joys of this country’s national parks. With a canvas tent and Coleman stove in the trunk of their car, the family began an enduring adventure that would eventually cover all the western states and Canadian provinces.

Work at Convair slowed significantly in 1960, and Per was able to secure a position with Boeing. The family made the long drive up the coast and settled in Bellevue.

In the fall of 1963, Per and Inga attended citizenship classes at Bellevue Community College. In March of 1964, they became US citizens just weeks before the birth of their third child Lisa.

At Boeing, Per’s work was primarily in flight-control systems, with assignments on 727, SST, YC-14, 767, and 777. He was most proud of the work begun in 1964, when he was part of a small group of engineers tasked with laying out the configuration of a new airplane. This project eventually led to the creation of the 737, which is still the most produced commercial airliner in history.

Per was granted several patents for his designs, and when Boeing instituted the Technical Fellows program, he was in the first group of engineers to be so honored. Per was a licensed professional engineer in the state of Washington, a member of the Washington Society of Professional Engineers, and a Life Member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. He also served as a delegate to the Aerospace Industries Association International Standardization Advisory Group and as the Chairman of an ISO subcommittee.

After his retirement in 1990, Per was called back to Boeing to work on the 777. His final assignment was as an aircraft systems design consultant in Indonesia in support of that country’s project to build a high wing, twin engine, turboprop commuter aircraft. Inga was able to join him in Bandung for the nine-month assignment. While there, they were able to explore much of Indonesia, and before returning home they visited Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Other international travel soon followed, cruising the rivers of China and Europe, including Russia, and a trip through the Panama Canal. Per and Inga also traveled extensively through Europe by car and camper.

In his spare time, Per enjoyed remodeling their home and built a workshop and guest house in the backyard. He loved working in his shop, where he collected tools for all types of wood and metal projects, keeping everything meticulously organized. His pride was in fixing things; he delighted in creating a new part or a “gizmo” that could solve a problem. Per was also an avid family historian and prided himself on his photography, documentation and record keeping of family gatherings, trips and important moments.

In the 1960’s, Per served as a deacon and later as an elder in the Bellevue Presbyterian Church. In the 1980s, he and Inga were captivated by the writings and sermons by Rev. Bruce Larson at the University Presbyterian Church in Seattle, where they became active members.

Per and Inga were also active in the early days of the founding of the National Nordic Museum, volunteering weekly until the move to the new location. Per served on the Board of Directors of the Swedish Club, and both he and Inga were early members and supporters of the Museum of Flight.

Inga passed away June 24, 2014. Per is survived by his children Karin Harder (Fred), Anders Bolang (Karen), and Lisa Harpster (Scott); grandchildren Eric Harder (Elizabeth), Calista Harder, Gordy Harpster, and Bailey Harpster; and great-granddaughter June Inga Harder.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to University Presbyterian Church, the National Nordic Museum, the Museum of Flight, or the Swedish Cultural Center.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm on Thursday, June 27 at University Presbyterian Church.