Albert Martin Bolton

Albert Martin Bolton

Mr. Albert Martin Bolton passed away on April 2, 2014. Visitation will he held from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. on Monday, April 7th, at Osborn Funeral Home. Services will begin at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 8th, at Broadmoor Baptist Church with Dr. Tom Harrison officiating. Interment will follow at Forest Park Cemetery.

Mr. Bolton was born on October 24, 1925 in Alexandria, LA and was a resident of Shreveport since February 1954. After graduating high school in Alexandria in June 1942, he enrolled at Tulane University where he was accepted into the U.S. Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps and was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He was called to duty in the U.S. Navy while at Tulane and served aboard the destroyer, U.S.S. Hart, in the western and southwestern Pacific Theater in World War II. He returned home and completed his education at Louisiana College, Pineville, LA in July 1949. He then returned to duty and served aboard the aircraft carrier, U.S.S. Rendova, during the Korean War.

He moved to Shreveport in February 1954 when he joined KSLA TV one month after the station signed on the air. He was the station's weatherman until August 1991. During his career at KSLA, he was cited in August 1970 by the Shreveport National Weather Service with The Weather Service Centennial Award for weather services to the community in reporting weather to the public in commemoration of the National Weather Service's Century of Service, 1870 to 1970. In April 1980, he attended a television workshop at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, OK. In June 1982, he attended a radio/TV weathercaster's hurricane workshop at the New Orleans National Weather Service office in Slidell, LA. He received the National Weather Association Seal of Certification in October 1982 for "performance well above the media and meteorological standards" and the American Meteorological Society Seal of Approval for Television Weathercasting in May 1983. In July 1990, Ernest Ethridge, official in charge of the Shreveport National Weather Service office, presented him with a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association Special Service Award in recognition and appreciation for services rendered from 1954 to 1990. He joined KRMD radio in May 1991 and was the station weatherman until December 2001.

Mr. Bolton was a member of Broadmoor Baptist Church. In February 1999, he received a Lifetime Membership award from Optimist International for his 33 years of service in the Optimist Club of Shreveport, Inc. He was also the "Voice of the Shreveport Metropolitan Concert Band" from 1990 to 2005.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Roscoe C. and Merle Martin Bolton, his wife of nearly 50 years, Sandra Walker Bolton, and brothers, Roscoe A. Bolton and Fender Wade Bolton.

He is survived by son Albert M. Bolton Jr, son Ryan W. Bolton and his wife Angela, daughter Amanda J. Bolton and five grandchildren who knew him as "Big Al": Andrew Bolton, Matthew Bolton, Walker Bolton, Ella Bolton and Keith Bolton.

Pallbearers: Andrew Bolton, Matthew Bolton, James Thompson, Michael Sullivan, Sam Stroope, Kevin Brocato and Donny Mitchell. Honorary pallbearers: Sam T. Lee, Dan Praytor, Maurice "Red" Thompson and Bob Griffin.

The family would like to give special thanks to caregivers Twyla and Lauvata for their years of loving care as well as the staff of Christus Schumpert Highland CCU for their compassionate care.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the American Cancer Society or to a charity of their choice.