Rodney "Will" Bolin

Will was born on April 2, 1934 in Greeley, Colorado to Rodney Edward and Ruth Bolin. He grew up with his older brother, Arwin “Bo,” in Cornish, Colorado -- which is the dryland farm and ranch country east-northeast of Greeley. Will attended a one-room schoolhouse through the eighth grade, where he was in the choir and learned funny old songs that he would sing spontaneously throughout his life.

He then moved into Greeley to attend College High School. Will later attended Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Biological Sciences.

At CSU, Will was in Army ROTC officer training and after college served from 1956-58 as a 2nd Lieutenant outside of Pisa, Italy. After being honorably discharged, he returned to Greeley and earned a Master’s degree in teaching from the University of Northern Colorado.

He met and married Janice Peppers of Greeley, who was a nurse at her Dad’s doctor’s office. They lived their first couple of years together in an apartment near Sloan’s Lake. Then they moved to Arvada where they lived in the same house for 53 years

Will taught math at Golden High School for a short time then taught biology for 31 years at Wheat Ridge High School. He was named “Colorado Biology Teacher of the Year” in 1965.

They had daughter, Conde Leann, in 1963 and son, Tracy “Drew”, in 1966.

Will’s greatest joys in life were his wife Jan, his two children and son-in-law, his friends, Volkswagen Beetles as well as the family’s homestead Farm, which was named a “Colorado Centennial Farm” in 2015. Due to his extended summer and spring break vacations, Will drove his family all around the U.S. and visited dozens of National Parks, Monuments and states. He had many fond memories over the years with his adventurous teacher friends. His favorite wilderness experiences were in the Red Rocks country of Utah.

Will was a voracious reader, outdoorsman and nature enthusiast. He enjoyed camping, backpacking, fly fishing, racquetball, elk hunting, river rafting and ice cream. He was fortunate to spend time with his friends on many outdoor adventures.

Will was preceded in death by his parents, Rodney and Ruth Bolin; his brother, Arwin “Bo” Bolin, who passed away last March 2018 in Fresno, California. He is survived by his loving wife Jan; children, Conde (and Kurt) of Wheat Ridge; and Drew of Denver.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Olinger Crown Hill Pavilion, 7777 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, on Friday, March 22, 2019, at 3 p.m. followed by a reception from 4-6 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson Association of the Rockies,1325 S. Colorado Blvd, Suite 204B, Denver, CO 80222.