Joseph Edward Dolin Jr

Joseph "Joe" Edward Dolin, Jr., a longtime public servant in Oklahoma and a quiet, steady presence in the lives of those who knew him, die on December 31, 2025. He was 80.

Joe was born on March 2, 1945 in Shawnee, Oklahoma, the sixth of seven children of Joseph E. Dolin, Sr. and Evelyn (Zahasky) Dolin. He attended St. Benedict Catholic School before graduating from St. Gregory High School. He went on to earn a bachelor's degree from Oklahoma State University and later a master's degree from the University of Oklahoma.

In the mid-1960's, he enlisted in the United States Army, where he served as a pharmacist. His service took him to Fort Bliss, Texas and later to the Army Hospital – Bad Cannstatt, in Stuttgart, German. He attained the rank of Sergeant. It was in Stuttgart that he met Linda McWhinnie, who he later married and with whom he would share a life marked by constancy and mutual devotion.

After completing his military service, Joe returned to Oklahoma and embarked on a career in public service. He worked for over 35 years in the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.

Joe was deeply devoted to his siblings and took on a particularly significant role in the life of his youngest brother, Robert "Bobby' Dolin, for who he served as legal guardian for many years. His sense of responsibility, once assumed, did not waver.

He found pleasure in simple, tangible pursuits. Joe loved working in his yard, collecting tools and brass antiques, and maintaining a home that reflected his detail and care. He was a longtime member of St. Gregory's Church, where his faith found expression less in words than in service.

For decades, Joe volunteered in nursing homes across Oklahoma, providing companionship and piratical assistance to elderly residents. In 2005, he also volunteered in relief efforts following Hurricane Katrina, traveling to assist those displaced by the disaster. These acts were characteristic of him: undertaken quietly, without expectation of recognition.

Joe is survived by his wife, Linda S. Dolin; his two sons, Neil A. Dolin and Bryan E. Dolin; and a grandson, Blake A. Dolin and Blake's wife, Victoria. He is also survived by three siblings: Patrick Dolin of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Maureen Gilleland of Wichita Falls, Texas, and Mary Ellen Bishop of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as well as several nieces, nephews and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Robert Dolin of El Reno, Oklahoma, and Richard Dolin of Shawnee, Oklahoma; and a sister, Yvonne Rusziska of Phoenix, Arizona.

In a life defined less by ambition than by reliability, Joseph Dolin occupied a role that is easy to overlook and hard to replace. He shoed up, he stayed and he helped – qualities that, in the end, proved to be his enduring legacy.

Services are pending and will be announced at a later date.

The family has designated Cohesive Hospice or Alzheimer's Association as appropriate for memorials.

The family would like to send a special thank you to Cohesive Hospice for their wonderful care.