John David Dolan

John David Dolan joined some of his family on August 22, 2020, to go fishing together on the Bois Brûle River. Mother Brûle has welcomed too many of the Dolan's Clan.

Their efforts run back over 60 years. Colonel Paul G. Dolan, USAF (ret.) and Marion Hazel (Fahrner) Dolan presented their fourth surviving son for baptism in Joliet, Illinois after his birth on November 9, 1947. John David spent the first half of his childhood following his father's career moves.... from Peshtigo WI while the Colonel was stationed in the Philippines, to Arlington, to Tinker AFB in Oklahoma, to St. Louis, to Wright Patterson AFB in Fairborn, OH. After the Colonel's retirement the family found a home in Duluth, MN. During the wandering in search of his parents retirement home, the family passed through Casper, WY in June 1960, which was a dirty, stinky, oilfield town in nowhere WY.... Little did John David foresee this would be his final home 30 years later.

In Duluth, he met his spouse, Kathleen, in the eighth grade at Holy Rosary School. Ten years later they began their short dating time and John David proposed over the phone during basic training at Ft. Leonard Wood, MO. This union lasted 49 years. He earned his commission from Infantry Officers OCS in the Signal Corp. He served the remainder of his tour with Unconventional Warfare Operations at Ft. Bragg, NC. After military service, John David attended graduate school and received his Master of Science in Geological Engineering from the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. His career began with Amoco Production Company and spanned the next 40+ years working for production, pipeline companies and for the banking industry doing oil and gas lending. John David chose NOT to follow employment away from Casper. His heart for trout fishing and his remarkably wonderful spouse had found their home of enjoyment and hope. John David had become a LIFE member of Trout Unlimited, the Fly Fishing Federation (now Fly Fishing International), and The Wyoming Fly Casters. He received the William A. MacTavish Award in 1999. He served on the boards of the WFC, FFI, and TU. He also served on many other service Boards while he was employed. He was the State Chairman for TU over several years. It's not that fishing was more important than other matters in the world; it is equally unimportant and much more fun! He volunteered at Holy Cross Food pantry which was his most enjoyable community service. His fishing escapades took him from the wonderful United States to Tierra del Fuego, to Chile's Patagonia several times, to the Bahamas, to Louisiana and Texas for redfish, to British Columbia, and to Alaska.

In their free time, Kathleen cruised with him to Europe, Australia, South America and the Inland Passage to Alaska. His Annual Pilgrimage to the Bois Brûle kept him grounded, connected, and ever hopeful for his fellows on this earth.

He was preceded in death by his parents, sister Grace Diane (Douglas) Beekmann, and his brothers, Richard, Robert, William Joseph (Carolyn Rose), Dr. Paul G. Dolan, Jr. DDS (Joan Ellen)and Walter Thomas (Linda Pierce). He is survived by Kathleen his spouse, his sister Mary Anne Dolan-Linne (Steve) & their son and the nine Dolan nephews in Chicago, Missouri and Pennsylvania, two Dolan nieces in Delaware and Duluth, and his Beekmann nieces and nephew in Duluth.
Many of us have fished Mother Brûle to the end and she sings our litany for the ages..... He trusts the "Greatest Fisher of Men" will judge him good enough to keep....

A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at 4:00 PM on Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020 at the Tate Pump House, on his beloved North Platte River. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Central Wyoming Hospice and Transitions Program, 319 S. Wilson, Casper WY 82601, or Casper College Athletics Program, 125 College Drive, Casper WY 82601.

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