Ben D. Bollinger

1938 - 2018

July 4, 1938 - October 17, 2018 We all lost a music visionary, a devoted family man and a world-renowned educator on Oct. 17, as Ben D. Bollinger passed away at age 80 in Pomona, Calif. Ben, born on July 4, 1938 in Anaconda, Mont., was the oldest of five children and 54 grandchildren. He was predeceased by his parents Ben and Anne (Haffey) and brother Don. He is survived by his wife, Lois, his four children: Bo (Laura), Mark (Tiff), Mick (Toni) and Mindy (Brian); as well as 10 grandchildren: Rhett, Sarah (Brad), Chelsea, Danny, Patrick, Austin, Dylan, Jessica, Rhys and Faith; two step-grandchildren: Ella and Lucy; and two great-grandchildren: Stella and Wesley. In addition to his wide-ranging musical talents, Ben, or "Benny Dan" as he was known by his family, was a star athlete growing up in Montana, once throwing a no-hitter on the same day as his father who pitched semi-professionally, but football was his passion and best sport. At age 17, the family moved from Anaconda to Glendora, Calif., where Ben spent most of his adult life. Ben was a three-sport athlete at Citrus Union High School, graduating in 1956 before enrolling at Citrus Community College. It was at Citrus College where he met his wife, Lois, and they married on Aug. 13, 1960 at Holy Angels in Arcadia. He also continued to play football in college and earned his Associate of Arts degree in 1958 before transferring to the University of Southern California, which had always been his dream. Ben planned to be a dentist, but after injuring his knee in spring football practice, changed his major to music education with minors in voice and opera. He performed in several operas at USC's Bovard Auditorium and the Shrine Auditorium, including classics such as The Ballad of Baby Doe, The Barber of Seville, Simon Boccanegra, Manon Lescaut and Otello. A member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Ben made lifelong friends at USC and remained connected to USC athletics throughout his life, especially the football and basketball programs. After USC, Ben turned down opportunities to sing opera abroad, including a Fulbright Scholarship to perform in Europe, instead opting to raise his growing family and acting as the chair of the fine arts department at Ramona High School from 1962-68. Ben returned to Citrus that Fall as a full-time instructor, beginning his incredible 37-year run that transformed the college and made it one of the preeminent music programs in the country. Ben created the Citrus Singers in '68, and under his leadership, the "Singers" became one of the most highly decorated choral groups internationally, winning countless music festivals around the globe, including being the only American choir to win all three categories of the International Choral Festival in Spittal, Austria, in 1979. In 1970, the Citrus Singers made their first trip to Hawaii, which became a regular occurrence with performances there every other year. The Citrus Singers also performed in countless countries under Ben's tutelage, including Russia, Spain, Norway, Great Britain, Denmark, Japan, Austria, Uruguay, Argentina, Poland and Brazil. The Citrus Singers became the most prominent collegiate singing group in Southern California, performing at major events in the Los Angeles area, including Super Bowl VII at the Coliseum, the Rose Parade, Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, the grand opening of Ontario Motor Speedway in 1970, Richard Nixon's campaign stop at Ontario Airport in 1972 and the opening of the Los Angeles Marriott in 1973. Affectionally called "Mr. B" by his students, the Citrus Singers performed in front of several local and national politicians, including President Nixon, President Dwight Eisenhower and President George H.W. Bush. He was also credited on the 1978 solo album of Gene Simmons of Kiss fame with a select group of the Citrus Singers providing backup vocals. Ben also served as choral director at several churches throughout the course of his career, including Hollywood Presbyterian Church. He earned many honors along the way, including being named a Citrus College Distinguished Alumni in 1979-80 and being named Glendora's Citizen of the Year in 1980. Ben was also a successful businessman, opening the Candlelight Pavilion Dinner Theater in 1985. He created the idea on the back of a napkin and helped make the dream a reality at the old Claremont gymnasium where he had played basketball in '56. The 299-seat dinner theater, run by his son Mick and daughter Mindy, has become an Inland Empire institution and one of the longest continuously run and highest grossing dinner theaters in the country. After his 37 years at Citrus College, he retired in 2005 with a ceremony at Santa Anita Park, as he was a fixture at the racetrack with a box at the finish line. He was the acting dean of fine and performing arts at the time of his retirement and was honored as a Citrus College Faculty Emeritus. Ben was larger than life to those who knew him, as he commanded a room with his stature and charisma. He was known for his amazing story-telling abilities and humor, as his memory and wit were unmatched. Music, sports and traveling remained his major passions throughout his life, but at his heart, he was a family man and was proud of the legacy he created with his wife, Lois. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ben's honor can be made to the Citrus College Foundation, Casa Colina Hospital or City of Hope. Donations to the Citrus College Foundation should be sent to Citrus College, Attn: John Vaughan, Visual and Performing Arts Division, 1000 W. Foothill Blvd., Glendora, CA 91741. Donations to Casa Colina should be made via casacolina.org, and donations to City of Hope via cityofhope.org.