(Chelsea Update would like to thank Staffan Mitchell Funeral Home for some of the information in this column as well as the photo.)
Chelsea has lost another champion.
James L. “Jamie” Bollinger, age 62, passed away on June 13 at his home.
The former Chelsea Village Council and Chelsea Area Fire Authority board member always found time to make the city a better place. Whether it was through his public service or fundraising efforts, Bollinger could be counted on to make things happen. Quietly, and perhaps you might say, in an underground manner.
If a job needed to be done, the co-owner of Bollinger Sanitation and Excavating was on the scene day or night. And it was a rare day that I didn’t see one of the company’s bright red trucks driving around the city heading to or from fixing things.
From unearthing the famous Wooly mammoth in Lima Township to spearheading the fundraising for the Chelsea Rod and Gun Club’s indoor building – both above and below ground, Bollinger could be counted on to be there.
Jamie truly cared about this community and its future, and the people he met. I feel truly blessed to have known him for the last 20-plus years.
We met while I was a reporter for the Ann Arbor News when he was a Chelsea Village Council Member, and let’s just say, he wasn’t exactly fond of the press. But eventually, I proved trustworthy, and his trust in me never wavered. When I needed background information, Jamie always answered his phone. When I needed a quote about a long-time community member, Jamie would help me out.
Early on, when he found out I lived alone, he took it upon himself to keep an eye on my house and property. And when I called him with a problem, he made sure it got taken care of. Pronto.
In the winter, he made sure my driveway was plowed, especially on village and then city council meeting nights. I didn’t ask him for preferential treatment, he just did it, because he wanted me to be safe heading out to do my job.
I’ll miss seeing him at the fair auction when year after year, he’d help the community’s youth by purchasing animals.
Perhaps a bit gruff if you didn’t know him well, Jamie didn’t waste words. He always called it like he saw it. And his assessment was always fair.
The last time Jamie and I had a lengthy discussion was this winter when he not only plowed me out, but also made sure my Dish, which was snow covered and not working, was functioning before he left. His wife, Terri, jumped out of the front seat, onto the back of the pickup truck with a broom and went to town on it.
Afterward, he jokingly said in the future, I’d get one free Dish clearing with a snow plow per year. After that, I’d have to pay for it.
It was during those quiet times, when after a long night of plowing, he’d end his day at my house that we’d chat. In recent years, Terri was with him and we’d have some laughs.
Jamie was a mainstay in this community and in my life, and I’ll sure miss him.
Heaven has gained a special person this week, one this community won’t ever replace.
His visitation will be held at the Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home on Wednesday, June 15,2022, from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m.
A Community Funeral Service will be held at St. Mary Catholic Church, Chelsea on Thursday, June 16, 2022, at 11:00 a.m. with Pastor Eric Stricklin officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be made to the James Bollinger Memorial Scholarship.
Arrangements by Staffan-Mitchell Funeral Home.
The full obituary can be found here.
