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John Bolstad Obituary
John Bolstad, age 66, died suddenly of unknown causes. He was found in his Livermore home on July 16, 2013. Renowned for his exquisite taste in fine cuisine and knowledge of the arts, Bolstad was a lover of classical music and the opera. He grew up primarily in Boone, Iowa and St. Paul, Minnesota. He attended the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul and graduated with a BA in Mathematics. He left the Midwest in 1968 to attend Stanford University where he had been awarded a Fellowship. There he received his Masters in Mathematics and PhD in Computer Science. Bolstad's employment history includes Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory as a Staff Scientist, California Institute of Technology as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory as a Physicist in the AX Division. He retired from LLNL in 2008 with 23 years of service. Bolstad is survived by one brother, James (Josephine) Bolstad; two sisters; Mary (Gordon) Peters and Susan Owens, five nephews, one niece, two great nephews, three aunts, and eight cousins. A private memorial service will be scheduled in Decorah, Iowa at a later date.
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Memories and Condolences
for John Bolstad
Rick Pember
July 21, 2023
Rest in peace, John
Jeffrey Saltzman
August 22, 2013
Rest in peace John. You will always have a good place in my memories of working in the DOE.
August 9, 2013
John,
All of the cousins looked up to you in admiration as children. The extended Holland family was and will always be so very proud of you and your accomplishments. Peace be with you.
Rex Holland
Minneapolis
At the Opera at the Ball Park with my oldest son
Facundo
August 2, 2013
John was definitely quiet unique. He is the only person that I know who didn't own a cell phone nor a car. He would not mind to ride his bike to a bus stop and then take Bart to SF and then catch muni in SF to go to see an Opera, silent movie, etc. He was one of the most cultivated persons that I know. It was fun to go to the Operas and silent movies together. We will always remember him.
July 30, 2013
We miss seeing you ride up to the shop on your bike! We miss your sense of humor and all your stories! We miss you!
Mike and Linda Allen
Burke Ritchie
July 30, 2013
This is a sad day indeed. John was briefly my neighbor on Charlotte Way in Livermore in 1988. I recall his unfailing humor at Livermore Lab notwithstanding that the Lab is a rather grim, humorless place - Baja Georgia, which I borrowed and used a couple of times. One of my best memories was seeing John trudging up Franklin (or whatever the name of the street is which goes up behind the War Memorial Opera House) from my perch on the balcony entrance of Davies Symphony Hall looking down Grove. Too far to yell, Hey John!
Paul Miller
July 30, 2013
He was a gentleman and a pleasure to have known.
Matt Peters
July 30, 2013
We will all miss you, Uncle John. I hope you are at peace.
Rick Pember
July 29, 2013
Rest in pease, John. It was fun working with you at LLNL.
Joey Peters
July 28, 2013
RIP to my uncle. Thanks for that 8-hour tour of San Francisco. It's too bad we didn't make Napa Valley.
Lilo Weingant
July 28, 2013
John, you were our dear friend for 26 years. We thank you for your friendship. We always enjoyed your company, your sparkling wit and your great sense of humor. You'll not be forgotten. We love you and we miss you.
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