More detail on this person: Former Fairbanks resident Thomas L. (Tom) Bollaert, 57, took his final flight on April 20, 2005, after his courageous battle with brain cancer, surrounded by wife Ann, daughter Amy and friends at Providence Extended Care Center in Anchorage. Tom was born Aug. 20, 1947, in Goshen, Ind., to Frank and Betty Bollaert. He first arrived in Alaska in 1965, stationed at Fort Richardson, prior to service in Vietnam. He fell in love with Alaska, and returned twice with the military. When he retired from the military in 1985 as a chief warrant officer III, he made Alaska his home. A Fairbanksan since 1982, he had moved to Anchorage in 2003. After the military, he went to work for Air Logistics of Alaska as a helicopter pilot, flying all 800 miles of the trans-Alaska oil pipeline. During his career he worked with the Bureau of Land Management fighting fires, helped with the Exxon Valdez oil spill and flew pipeline security. During his career he received numerous recognitions and awards. Daughter Amy commented, "In a life characterized by bravery, he was the bravest of us all during his fight with cancer." Tom loved riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, flying and playing golf. He enjoyed spending quality time with his youngest grandson, Ayden. He was a skilled craftsman who could fix anything. He took great pride in his designing and building projects. He was also a Mason and a Shriner. Tom is survived by his wife, Ann; son, Tom Jr.; daughters, Amy, Tammy and Teresa and their children; brothers, Ronnie and Kent; and sisters, Sharon, Pam, Debbie and Dawn. In lieu of flowers the family requests memorial contributions be made in Tom's name to an education account for his grandson Ayden Cammarn at Alaska USA Federal Credit Union. A celebration of life was held in Fairbanks.
This information was last updated 07/09/2024
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Date posted on this site: 10/23/2024
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