Richard Henry Bollinger

Richard Henry Bollinger died September 12, 2015 at Hope Hospice at Health Park in Fort Myers, FL. He was born on November 30, 1924, in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the eldest of nine children born to Percy and Pauline Becker Bollinger. He grew up on the family's farm in Taneytown, MD and graduated from Taneytown High School in 1941. He married the former Ruth Ellen Eckard of Westminster, MD, on April 3, 1948. He was employed at Union Trust Company in Baltimore and later at Maryland National Bank from which he retired in 1989. He was an active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Westminster where he served two terms as President of the Church Council, taught Sunday School, was Chairman of the Bloodmobile for 18 years, Treasurer of the Shepherds Staff, and assisted in organizing the first Soup Kitchen. He served as the first President for the Carroll County Luther League which he helped to organize in 1947. He was also a volunteer at Carroll County General Hospital and was a member of the Westminster Elks Lodge. He and his wife moved to Fort Myers, FL in 1997 and joined Zion Lutheran Church where he served as an usher, a member of the Social Committee and as a Stephen Minister. He also volunteered at the Southwest Regional Hospital. He was a volunteer for many years with the Community Cooperative Ministries, Inc. (CCMI) in Fort Myers, serving meals to those in need and packing Meals on Wheels. He was passionate about feeding the poor and homeless. In his spare time he enjoyed reading the Bible, playing golf, Baltimore Orioles' baseball games, and family get-togethers. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Ellen, of Fort Myers, his daughter, Susan (Barrett) Genson of Fort Myers, FL, and Grafton, WI; three grandsons, Scott (Anna) Oakes of Brookfield, WI; Stephen Oakes of Grafton, WI; and Ryan (Staci) Oakes of Wauwatosa, WI; five great-grandchildren; brothers Robert of Taneytown, MD; Lester (Dorothy) of Union Bridge, MD; Maurice (Betty) of Hanover, PA; sisters Evelyn (Harry) Newlin of Frederick, MD; and Doris (Kenneth) Crouse of Taneytown, MD. He is further survived by sister-in-law Frances Duttera of Littlestown, PA. and many nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents; brothers Glenn and Donald, and sister Pearl Sell, all of Taneytown, MD; and by sisters-in-law, Arlene Bollinger, Charlotte Bollinger, and Mildred Bollinger, all of Taneytown, MD; and brothers-in-law Eugene Sell of Taneytown, MD, and James Duttera of Littlestown, PA. A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held on Saturday, September 19, at 11am at Grace Lutheran Church, 21 Carroll St, Westminster, MD 21157. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Richard Bollinger may be sent to CCMI, 3429 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Fort Myers, FL 33916; Zion Lutheran Church, 7401 Winkler Rd, Fort Myers, FL 33919; or Grace Lutheran Church at the address above. The family wishes to thank the staff at Brookdale at the Lakes Senior Living Center and Hope Hospice at Health Park for their loving care.