Douglas Sinclair Bolon

Douglas Sinclair Bolon, of Beverly, Ohio, died August 16, 2025, at the age of 68. He passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by his family.

Born in Syracuse, New York on December 28, 1956, he attended Miami University, receiving his undergraduate degree in Management in 1979. He then went on to receive a Master’s in Health Services Administration from Arizona State University in 1983, before beginning a successful career as a hospital administrator. He served as the Assistant Executive Director at Humana Hospital Brandon from 1986 until 1988 in Brandon, Florida.

While working in the Sunshine State, he met the love of his life and best friend, Lisa, who was a fellow resident of a newly-constructed apartment complex. The two married on May 30, 1987, before Douglas left the private sector to follow in his father’s footsteps as a professor. He graduated from Virginia Tech in 1993 with a Ph.D. in Management, specializing in organizational behavior and organizational psychology. While balancing the rigors of a full-time Ph.D. student, Douglas and Lisa welcomed their only child, Drake, in 1989. The two shared an unbreakable father/son relationship, bonding over their shared interests in sports (long-suffering fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Douglas loved following the Marietta College teams, where Drake is the “Voice of the Pioneers”), investments and enjoying the beauty of nature.

In a full-circle moment, Douglas was hired by Ohio University in September 1993 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Public Health. Douglas grew up in Athens, Ohio, where his father, Dr. Donald Bolon, served as a business professor. A fun fact: Douglas was bat boy for several of Bob Wren’s legendary Ohio University Baseball teams, including the 1970 College World Series squad. In 2020, Douglas was inducted to the Kermit Blosser Ohio Athletics Hall of Fame along with all other players, coaches and support staff from that team.

During his professional career at Ohio University, Douglas was Chair of the Department of Social and Public Health from July 2014 to June 2016. He was an active member of the campus community, serving 10 years on Faculty Senate, as well as 3 years as Chair of the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee. Douglas received the Outstanding Graduate Faculty Award in 2002, and was given the honor of delivering the following year’s graduate commencement address. He authored numerous articles on organizational citizenship behaviors, employee relations and hospital mission statements, as well as articles with his father, Dr. Donald Bolon.

Douglas was a former member of the OhioHealth O’Bleness Health System Board of Directors and Southeast Psychiatric Hospital Education Advisory Board, as well as many other professional and honorary organizations. He was everything that a teacher should be: caring, empathetic, giving of his time and very successful placing students in jobs after graduation.

Douglas retired from Ohio University in May 2017, and was conferred the title Associate Professor Emeritus of Health Services Administration. He moved with Lisa to Beverly, Ohio in 2022 to live just three doors down from Drake and his devoted wife, Amanda. Douglas was the consummate loving husband, father and father-in-law.

Douglas is survived by his wife, Lisa, son, Drake, and daughter-in-law, Amanda, all of Beverly, Ohio; he is also survived by his in-laws, Thomas and Joy Husbands, of Wilmington, Delaware, and brother-in-law, Randall Husbands, also of Wilmington, Delaware. He was preceded in death by his wonderful parents, Donald and Joyce Bolon, of Oxford, Ohio.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, October 4 at 3:00 p.m. at the Marietta Chapel of Cawley & Peoples Funeral Home, 408 Front St, Marietta, Ohio. Family will greet friends from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. prior to the service. In lieu of flowers, the family is very grateful for any contributions to the F. Louise Bolon Endowment at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, established in honor of Douglas’ paternal grandmother.

Cawley & Peoples is honored to serve Doug’s family and offers online condolences by visiting their website, www.CawleyandPeoples.com or by following their Facebook page.