John Joseph Dolan

John Joseph Dolan, 86, of Rindge, passed away peacefully on April 27, 2025. He was born in Newark, NJ on December 3, 1938, to John and Myrtle (Middaugh) Dolan.

John was accepted to Newark High School of Fine and Industrial Arts, where he then attended High School. John and his wife Carol moved to New Hampshire in 1968. John became the Director at the Sharon Arts Center in Sharon NH for 8 years until he became employed at Sims Press in Peterborough, where he worked until retirement.

John enjoyed golfing, fishing, and watercolor painting. John volunteered for Special Olympics for many years in support of his son with special needs. John taught Sunday School at St Peters Church in Peterborough for many years. John served his country in the Navy Reserve during the Cuba Missile Crisis. John was a leader who many went to for advice and was a mentor to many people thru out his life.

John is survived by his daughter Kathleen Moller; his grandchildren Abigail Moller, David Moller and Olivia Moller; his brother Thomas Dolan and sister-in-law Judy Dolan, and his sister Fran Dolan.

John was predeceased by his wife Carol Dolan and his son John Patrick Dolan.

Visitation will be held Thursday, May 1, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the Jellison Funeral Home, 25 Concord Street, Peterborough, NH 03458.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Friday, May 2, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. in Saint Patrick's Church, 89 Main Street, Jaffrey, NH 03452. Burial will follow at Saint Peters Cemetery, in Peterborough.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in John’s name to the Special Olympics at https://support.specialolympics.org.

Words of remembrance from John's brother Thomas:

I grew up with my mom and dad, my sister Frances, and my brother John in a Newark NJ housing project. Unfortunately, our father, due to alcohol and other factors, had a Dr Jekyll and Mister Hide personality. Because of our dad’s behavior, John had to become our protector at a very early age. To me, he became more of a father than a brother.

John always was the one to take the leadership. He was the person you went to when needing advise or help and he was a mentor to many.

He was handsome (I envied his Crew Cut) intelligent, artistically talented and caring. He was such a good artist that he even had some of his paintings displayed at the largest department store in Newark. He had the characteristic Dolan dry humor with a talent for excruciating puns.

He served his country in the Navy reserve where found himself as a petty officer on one of the ships. blockading Cuba during the missile crises.

After the Navy he met and married Carol Hall who also was an accomplished artist working for a prestigious stain glass studio. They had two children Kathleen and John Patrick (Paco).

John and Carol both had good jobs, but they left them when John had the opportunity to become the director of the Sharon Art Center.

When still an infant Paco had a medical incident that left him with brain damage and seizures. John poured himself into doing everything possible to give Paco the best life possible. At the same time, John also had to deal with the psychological issues that Carol was having.

John loved his work at the art center but left to work at a local printing company for better pay and benefits to better provide for his family.

After Paco’s and Carols deaths he married Midge Gibbons which gave him great happiness even though it ended in divorce.

John was active in his church ST Peters as a teacher among other things and had many friends there. He volunteered for Special Olympics.

He enjoyed fishing and playing golf, but he took the greatest joy in his daughter and her three children. His grandchildren Abby, Olivia and David were a source of great pride and happiness for him.

Our mother had a saying that like in cards we are dealt a hand to play in life. We can’t change what we are dealt, we can only play them the best we can.

John played his cards the best he could with strength and Love.