(February 12, 1941 – March 18, 2016)
John passed quietly away at home in Pleasanton, California in the loving embrace of his wife of 48 years, Mary L. DeVor Dolan. Born in Battle Mountain, Nevada, John was the first of three boys and one daughter born to John T. and Alice M. (Welch) Dolan. John’s birth was followed by Mike’s arrival in 1943, and in 1945 by the birth of Pat. In 1946 the family moved to Winnemucca, Nevada, where his father had accepted teaching and coaching positions at Humboldt County High School. Growing up was hectic existence as, for much of the boys’ childhood, the family boarded two ranch kids. The students lived with the family during the school week before returning to their homes in the countryside for weekends. In order to accommodate the boarders, the brothers shared a bedroom through most of their elementary school years, an arrangement that resulted in roughhousing before they turned in for the night. Dinnertimes were loud and robust as the brothers and their houseguests vied for center stage in relating the day’s events and jostling for the last morsel of food. As the older brother, John set an example for his younger siblings when it came to the need for the boys to assume responsibility for the costs of attending college. John worked during his elementary and secondary school years delivering the Humboldt Star daily newspaper; swamping out and replenishing the bar at the Martin; and working at Sewell’s grocery store. These work habits were not lost on his younger brothers, who followed in John’s footsteps by working whenever school or sports allowed. In 1957, the Dolan family was blessed by the birth of a daughter, Colleen, who became the apple of John’s eye. Growing up in Winnemucca in the 1940s and 1950s was a magical time given the freedom enjoyed by adults and children alike. Nobody locked their doors and a typical summer day was marked by the parents telling their children “not to anything stupid and to be home by dark”.
In achieving his goal of attending college, John never lost sight of his need to earn good grades or his love of sports. John played football and basketball in high school, earning First Team All-State Honors in football his senior year on an undefeated squad that was not scored upon until the last game of the season. In 1963 John enrolled at the University of Nevada, where he found jobs working as a physical education instructor and coach of the Catholic Youth Organization teams at Our Lady of the Snows elementary school. John also worked as a House Boy at the Phi Beta Phi sorority, where he first met his future wife. As the older brother, John passed these part-time jobs on to his brothers. John graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science in 1963. In 1966, John went to work for the Nevada Budget Division where he quickly rose to the rank of Deputy Budget Director. John’s dedication and abilities were noticed by the Nevada State Legislature when they appointed John to establish a Fiscal Analyst Division to review and offer insight regarding the budget proposals coming out of the Executive Branch.
In 1973, John joined his wife’s father, Paul DeVor, where he worked at DeVor Nurseries as the Assistant General Manager and West Coast Sales Manager. DeVor Nurseries was the leading propagator of cut florist Roses and consistently among the top florist Rose breeders in America. In 1976, John, and his brothers-in-law, bought the business with John becoming the President and General Manager of the firm. Over the next 17 years, DeVor Nurseries continued to dominate the hot-house florist Rose market in association with EG Hill Company and Joseph Hill Company out of Indiana; the Meilland Company in France; and Cal Rose II in California and Arizona. During this time, the company was responsible for 90% of the florist Red Roses sold in America. John’s career included his introduction of many florist Rose varieties, all of which were either the leader or among the top selling hybrid tea, sweetheart and spray roses in America: Yellow (Town Crier, Golden Fantasie, Excitement, Lindsey, and Coed); White (Jack Frost, Minutte, and Lady Liberty); and Red (Forever Yours, Royalty, Classy, and Forever Young). Poignant was the unveiling of the Mary DeVor Red Sweetheart Rose at her marriage reception in 1968 which variety remained as the number 1 Red Sweetheart Rose until going off patent and being replaced by DeVor’s Sassy variety in 1985.
John formed Dolan International, Inc. 1993 to address the dumping of Roses from Latin and South America. Before that time, propagators and breeders from outside of America were prohibited from selling their florist plants in the United States and could only bring cut flowers into America. As a result, growers in America were forced to develop fields and facilities in Columbia and Ecuador if they were to remain competitive. In 2011, John was recognized by the Society of American Florist for his work advancing the florist industry, including his service as an officer and director of various industry trade groups. The Award noted that John’s “name is synonymous with many of the top rose varieties in the US and Latin America. A trailblazer, John tirelessly worked to open up Latin American to US bred roses. Through his insight, hands-on experience and honesty, John introduced award winning varieties into Columbia and Ecuador. He was the force behind the 30 million plants of ‘Classy’ and more than 30 million plants of ‘Forever Young’ put into production”. “Forever Young” is the #1 variety in of long-stem florist Red Roses sold in Eastern Europe. John sold out his businesses in 2011 and spent the rest of his life in following politics; sports, particularly attending Forty-Niner football games, health permitting; history; literature; and motion pictures. Throughout his time in Pleasanton, John found the time in his busy schedule to coach youth competitive soccer, a diversion that rekindled his memories of his own youth.
John is survived by his wife, Mary DeVor Dolan and their eight children, John Paul (Karen Mino), Thomas (Jamie Buckles), Kevin (Tonja Sagun), Megan (Leif Wagner-Johnson), Patrick (Tara Camper), Amy (Joe Ramirez), Alicia (David Harris) and Sean. John is also survived by his brothers Mike and Pat and sister, Colleen. Lovingly known as “Papa”, as John’s health deteriorated over the past few years, his greatest pleasure in life was spending a much time as he could arrange with his ten grandchildren, Ethan, Brooke, Julia and Temperance Dolan, Daphne, Willow and Rowan Johnson, Joaquin Ramirez, and Lilah and Cruz Harris. At Celebration of Life will be held at 9:45 a.m. on Saturday, May 14, 2016 at Pleasanton’s St. Augustine Catholic Church, 3999 Bernal Avenue, with a reception to follow at 11:30 a.m. at Handles Gastro Pub, 855 Main Street in Pleasanton. In keeping with John’s final wishes, a memorial service and the spreading of his ashes in Winnemucca will occur on May 21, 2016. Although anathema to the memory of an industry leading cultivator of florist Roses, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that any of his long-time friends and acquaintances desiring to mark his passing, contribute whatever they can to the Winnemucca youth sports leagues.
