Bolte, Meghan N.

BOLLMAN Michael Francis Bollman passed away on the evening of Friday, June 1, 2012.

Beloved husband of Jacqueline Frances Maloney; Father of Patrick Michael Bollman, Mary Katherine Bollman, Kelsey Anne Bollman and Colton Robert Bollman; Stepfather of Emily Sophia Ricalde; Son of the late Robert Francis Bollman and Francis Gostola Bollman and brother of Ronald (Vera) and Daniel Bollman. Mike was formerly married to Patricia Fajkowski Bollman, mother of his oldest three children.

Mike was 52 years old. He was a graduate of Central Michigan University, Tulane Graduate School and Tulane Law School. He also attended Kansai University of Foreign Studies in Osaka, Japan.

After graduating from law school, Mike worked for the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office. During his 15 years at the District Attorney's Office, Mike was an assistant district attorney assigned to the trials division. He was later appointed as Deputy Chief of Trials, Chief of the Violent Offender Strike Force and ultimately Chief of Trials. He was the longest running Chief of Trials under Harry Connick, holding the position from 1994 until 2003. During his tenure as Chief of Trials, violent crime dropped in New Orleans more sharply in that time frame than anywhere else in the history of the United States. Mike was lead counsel in thousands of cases, and tried nearly 200 jury trials in Orleans Parish. Being an Assistant District Attorney, and particularly Chief of Trials, was simply in his blood. He loved the job, and he loved supervising and working with his attorneys. And he was wonderful at it.

Mike shaped the minds and careers of hundreds of young assistant DA's, and his legacy will live on for decades. He received numerous awards from Victims and Citizens Against Crime and was named Top Trial Attorney and Assistant District Attorney of the year. Mike was also an adjunct professor in the Tulane Trial Advocacy program for 10 years.

At time of his all too early demise, he was an associate attorney for the law firm of Bienvenu, Foster, Ryan, and O'Bannon, as well as a trial attorney for the criminal division of the Louisiana Attorney General's Office.

Prior to becoming an attorney and to put himself through school, Mike worked as a farmer, a truck driver, a bouncer, a bartender, an oil field roustabout, a pipefitter, a bookstore clerk and an English language teacher. He was also an avid hunter and loved to hunt in the Michigan woods near his childhood home. Mike was absolutely adored by his children, his step-daughter, and his wife. He was an amazing man, a devoted son to his beautiful mother, a character if there ever was one, and gone far too soon. We loved him so much. Until we meet again, my love, may the road rise up to meet you, may the wind be ever at your back, may the sun shine soft upon your fields, and (as this good Irishman likes his favorite prayer to end) may you be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead!

Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend a Funeral Mass on Monday, June 4, 2012, at Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church, 8128 Plum St., New Orleans, LA, 70118 at 1:30 pm. Visitation will be held at the church 11:30 a.m. until service time. Burial will be held at a later date in Michigan.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor, 601 Maiden Choice Ln., Baltimore, MD, 21228, 410-744-9367, serenitys@littlesistersofthepoor.org. To view and sign the guest book, visit www.lakelawnmetairie.com.

Published in The Times-Picayune from June 2 to June 3, 2012