John M. Boler, chairman of the board and founder of Hendrickson parent company, The Boler Company, passed away peacefully on March 4, 2016 at the age of 81.

Boler founded The Boler Company in 1977. He eventually purchased four manufacturing companies, including Hendrickson in 1978. He served actively as Chairman of the Board until his death.

Boler began his business career with Clevite Corp., later acquired by Gould, Inc., where he became vice president of international.  He earned a business degree from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, which he served as trustee  for 26 years. During college, he took part in ROTC and later served as an officer in the U.S. Army Transportation Corps and Reserves, eventually attaining the rank of Captain.

He served on and chaired the American Cancer Society's National Foundation Board and supported many educational, healthcare and autism related causes locally and around the country.

In lieu of flowers, his family is asking that those looking to pay their respects donate to one of this favorite causes: Rush University Medical Center AARTS Program (Autism), The Boler School of Business at John Carroll University, The Boler-Parseghian Center for Rare and Neglected Diseases at the University of Notre Dame, and Big Arts on Sanibel Island, FL.

Boler’s wake is being held at Smith Corcoran Funeral Home on Sunday, March 13 at 11:00 a.m. A funeral mass at St. Theresa Catholic Church in Palatine Ill., is scheduled for March 14 at 11:00 a.m. For more information, call 847-359-8020 or visit Boler’s memorial at www.smithcorcoran.com.