Apologies for no post this past Sunday. I have been doing some serious grieving and it has been hard to finish this tribute. My heart is in my mouth and tears are threatening to fall again as I finish this. Thanks for your patience.
For clarification, I am NOT the Kelly Allen who currently serves as a Chelan County PUD Commissioner.
Orchard Junior High in Wenatchee, Washington circa 1972 was a hopping place, mostly due to a batch of young enthusiastic teachers who entered the profession raring to go; full of energy and ideas to wrangle tweens who lacked expertise, but who made up for it in pure adolescent zeal.
There was a milkshake machine (really just soft serve ice cream) in the student store, a juke box in the cafeteria, and cigarette smoke billowing out of the teacher break room. We had a football team, choir, band, Art Club, drill team, cheerleaders, Girl’s Club, Pep Club, yearbook and more. And, for the first time in our school career: LETTER GRADES. This was the big time!
Ms. Cole taught drama and directed the plays, Mr. Uecker taught music, Ms. Crilly taught Health and Sex Ed, Ms. Baker taught French, we had a young yearbook advisor, and a new English teacher all the way from…California! They joined the ranks of a faculty who had been teaching long enough to be effective but unflappable and a few remaining who were way beyond their classroom expiration date.
In the Social Studies department, Mr. Bolz was the new guy. Tall, athletic, and blonde, he quickly became a favorite. We knew he was anxious to move to the high school, but we loved him in 7th grade because he talked to us about politics like we were adults. Quite a change for a 12-year-old fresh out of elementary school.
I would rib him about Nixon (my Dad was a Republican) and he would gently counter with a more liberal slant. When he had bunion surgery, he “let us” push him around the halls to his classes in his wheel chair.
He also introduced us to the music of Tom Lehrer and would laugh along with the records (vinyl!) every Friday. Lehrer was a nerdy college professor who wrote wry satire about political issues like impending nuclear disaster, poking fun at the Catholic Church, and pollution. You should check him out, but you won’t have Mr. Bolz there to giggle when he sings, “bow your head with great respect and genuflect, genuflect, genuflect…”
In one of my junior high yearbooks, he wrote, “keep reading because it has given you a lot of depth.” See? He made us feel smart.
When he moved to the high school, I followed a few years later. He taught a Psychology class that I really wanted to take, but it was only open to juniors and seniors. I was so proud when he told me “I know your work and I’ll make an exception.” And he did.
He went on to become an administrator and I went on to college and a career in journalism and later public relations. One day, while working at a dead-end underpaid job in New Haven, CT, I wrote him about my interest in becoming a teacher. What do you think of the idea? I asked.
He wrote back a long letter that included this phrase: “I think you would make a fine educator.”
As usual, Mr. Bolz made me feel like a million bucks. I followed up with my plan, became a teacher, and checked in with him regularly.
He was an exciting addition to my life because he had so much enthusiasm and a broad area of interests. It was inspiring just to watch him work. He always had a story to tell and he would lower the volume of his voice so it sounded like a secret between just us.
I guess they call that charisma. But he had great intelligence to back it up, both about history and about learning. He liked being on the cutting edge of educational innovation. As Minnesota Governor Tim Walz ran for Vice President last year, I thought a lot about Dennis. He had the same type of down-to-earth humor, pragmatic wisdom, and it was hard to take your eyes off him when he was in leadership mode.
The final chapter of his working life was spent as a Commissioner for the Chelan County PUD. Typical of Dennis, he did his homework about campaigning and about the needs of Chelan County and he was re-elected 3 more times.
Before I left for a teaching job in the Middle East a few years ago, Dennis took the time to write me a long hand-written letter telling about some health problems, but mostly about how excited he was about working for the PUD. He loved meeting people and grappling with issues that faced his constituents.
Upon his retirement from the PUD, he told a reporter from the Wenatchee World, “I'm gonna miss the PUD like crazy,” he said. “It didn't take too long to figure out the best part about being a commissioner is getting to know the employees and watch the level of talent there, the intelligence, the work ethic, the honesty, integrity. What they get up and go do everyday, it has public benefits.”
He battled cancer for eight grueling years until the medication stopped working. Even his sturdy, active body couldn’t fight off the disease forever and he died last week at the age of 78. That’s a good long life, but honestly, not long enough for Dennis. He had finally reached retirement after working “every day since the age of 12” only to take on another challenge. It would have been nice to watch him find a new hobby or hang carefree with his grandkids.
The world lost a good man in Mr. Bolz. I’m not sure why this death has hit me so hard. There were lots of teachers in my little hometown who were patient and supportive.
I think it has to do with the power of having someone in your corner who consistently believes in you, maybe more than you believe in yourself. Dennis always had a smile, a kind word, and time for both a goofy “tweenager” and an adult who needed some life coaching.
It was a privilege to be both his student and his friend and the world seems diminished without him.
Thank you for all of your service and RIP, Dennis Bolz.
Thank you for reading the “Good to Know” newsletter. See you Thursday!
Lovely tribute Kelly. I sent it to my friend, Kristen Callison, who is his niece.
Fabulous heart felt tribute. 💖