John G. Boosalis lived a full life and felt fortunate to celebrate the ripe old age of 100. John’s wife of 69 years, Catherine passed 5 ½ years before him. John is survived by one sister, Elaine Smith of Edina, MN, and his 4 children, Dean Boosalis of Santa Fe, NM; George Boosalis (Janice); Mary McCown (Gary); and Gregg Boosalis (Debra) all of Lincoln, NE. Also, five of his six grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren (plus one more on the way) are part of his expanding family legacy.
John was born in Faribault, Minnesota, the third of 8 children. He served in WWII as a pilot in the Navy and at one point was pronounced Missing in Action. His and Kay’s career in the food service business brought them to Lincoln in 1960 to open the Colonial Inn Restaurant on Cornhusker Highway. Eventually John and Kay expanded their operations to include the Knolls Country Club and Restaurant, a landmark for 50 years in the Lincoln community. John and Kay enjoyed spending most of the last 35 years of retirement traveling between their homes in Lincoln and Scottsdale Arizona, where they resided during the winters and had many friends.
John was a member of the Greek Orthodox Churches in Lincoln as well as in Scottsdale, and was also a Mason. He felt fortunate to spend the final year of his life appropriately at the Knolls Retirement Community, and was grateful for the support of kind staff members and residents.
Many of John’s friends and family will remember him for always walking into any room with a smile and making everyone feel welcome and at home. It is truly a remarkable achievement that John not only lived a century, but that he remained vibrant until his final days.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” – Matthew 5:4
Visitation with family present on January 3, 2020 from 5:00 -6:30 pm followed by the Trisagion Service at Roper and Sons South Lincoln Chapel, 3950 Hohensee Drive.
Funeral Service: 11:00 am January 4, 2020 at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church, 8550 Pioneers Blvd. In lieu of flowers, memorials to Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, Food Bank of Lincoln and Mourning Hope.
On January 16, 2020 at 8:00 pm, NETV will be airing a Nebraska Stories program recorded in 2019 which will feature John Boosalis recounting his naval career, including discussions of his MIA story.