Joseph P. Dolan grew up playing town baseball with his brothers and family in southern Minnesota and took his small-town values to Bloomington schools. There he taught history, coached and was athletic director for his last dozen years until 2004.
As athletic director, Dolan spearheaded a multi-year effort to build sports-community centers at Bloomington's two high schools and was inducted into their sports halls of fame. "He sold the idea," said Stan Skjei, who taught and coached with Dolan for about 35 years in Bloomington schools.
"He was a great coach and had a tremendous compassion for kids," Skjei said. "If they were stars or the lowest reserve on the team, he treated them all the same.... He took a deep interest in every kid. He wanted to help them, not only in sports, but as a person."
Dolan, 65, died Thursday from leukemia complications in his Burnsville home, said his wife, Lynne Dolan.
He was a keen observer and saw the funny side of things, she said.
"He had an amazing way of making everyone feel important," she said. "He had a gorgeous, huge smile. He was always positive."
She said he was named Athletic Director of the Year in 1999-2000 by the Minnesota Athletic Directors Association. He also helped start adaptive sports for disabled students in Bloomington schools, she said.
Dolan grew up on a farm near Milroy, Minn., where he played town ball with his family, said his older son, Jon Dolan, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
"Everybody counted there and he took that value with him. With sports it was, 'How many people can I incorporate into this?'" his son said.
Family was important to him, so 40 years ago, Dolan set up an annual family golf tournament to get his seven siblings, dozen aunts and uncles and many cousins together, his wife said. She said he also helped organize golf tournaments to raise funds for college scholarships.
Dolan was well-respected as the athletic director for Kennedy and Jefferson high schools, Skjei said.
"He had such an ability to unite everybody. He made sure we were all on the same page. He was very smart with a lot of common sense," Skjei said. "He wanted to do the right thing, that was his bottom line."
In addition to his wife and son Jon, Dolan is survived by his son Mark, of Minneapolis, and six siblings: Denis, of Cedar Falls, Iowa; Patrick, of Lucan, Minn.; William, of Edina; Joan Zwach, of Chanhassen; Jane Schultz, of Burnsville, and Alice Dolan, of Bloomington.
A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Pax Christi Catholic Community, 12100 Pioneer Trail, Eden Prairie.
Visitation will be at the church an hour before the service, and Monday from 5 to 8 p.m. with a prayer service at 7 p.m. at Washburn-McReavy Werness Brothers Chapel, 2300 W. Old Shakopee Road, in Bloomington.
