It is with
great regret and sorrow that I must notify you of the death of our classmate,
Pete Boylan, on November 12, 2023, in Milledgeville, GA as a result of heart
failure due to a life well lived.
Pete is
survived by his wife, Kathy; their son, Peter III (USMA ’84) and his wife Pam
Vitrano; their daughter, Therese Bell (USMA ’86) and her husband Michael (USMA
’83); their daughter, Heather Drew and her husband Jason; their son, Gregory (USMA
’94) and his wife Colleen; their daughter, Emily Boylan and her husband Michael
Rutt; and fourteen grandchildren.
There will be a
memorial service in Milledgeville, GA at a date and time to be announced.
The Funeral Mass Thursday, February 29, 2024, will begin at 1:30pm at Most Holy
Trinity Catholic Church followed by burial at the West Point Cemetery. There
will then be a reception (a good Irish Wake!) at Eisenhower Hall. There will be
more information forthcoming.
Condolences may
be sent to Kathy at 110 West Lakeview Lane NE, Milledgeville, GA 31061-7831.
In lieu of
flowers, the family requests that donations in Pete’s memory be sent to a
Veterans Support Organization of your choice.
Well done, Pete. Be thou at peace.
Remembrances:
Class Memorial Pages\G-1 Pete Boylan.pdf
Here are a couple of things Jim Oats found about Pete Boylan tonight. You will
see why he was loved by Milledgeville, Georgia.
The community is mourning the loss of Maj. Gen. Peter Boylan (Ret.), former
president of Georgia Military College.
Boylan passed away Sunday at his home, according to a statement posted by GMC.
After a 31-year decorated military career, Boylan became the 20th president of
GMC in 1992, the longest-serving president in the school’s history.
The full statement posted on GMC’s social media pages Sunday reads:
“It is with great sadness we share the news of the passing of Maj. Gen. Peter
Boylan (USA, Ret). He passed away surrounded by family at his home this morning
in Milledgeville. Our Chairman of the Board of Trustees, George Hogan shared,
‘On behalf of the Board of Trustees I share our deepest condolences for the
Boylan family. Major General Boylan fostered a legacy that will resonate for
generations to come. He left an indelible mark on GMC and his memory will live
inside our gates forevermore.’
Maj. Gen. Boylan dedicated 31 years of service in the United States Army between
1961 and 1992 in a decorated and distinguished military career. After graduating
from the United States Military Academy, he went on to serve two combat tours in
the Vietnam War and took part in the invasion of Grenada with the 82nd Airborne
Division. He later returned to teach at the United States Military Academy as an
assistant professor of mechanical engineering and some years later returned as
the Commandant of Cadets. For many years, he continued to serve on the board of
trustees for the United States Military Academy. He also served as the
Commanding General of the storied 10th Mountain Division. His awards and
decorations include several for Valor in combat and Distinguished Service.
Additionally, he is a 2006 Honorary Alumnus of GMC and while as President served
on our Board of Trustees and our Foundation.
Maj. Gem/ Boylan‘s love for his country and education were a perfect marriage at
Georgia Military College. Forever a patriot, Soldier, educator, and servant
leader; his mark on GMC is seen all over the campus. MG Boylan became the 20th
president of Georgia Military College in 1992 and remains the longest-serving
president since our founding in 1879. MG Boylan is most remembered as restoring
GMC's financial stability during his almost 21-year tenure. During his two
decades of service, MG Boylan made the strategic decision to restore and
renovate almost every building at GMC's Main Campus in Milledgeville.
Additionally, the Preparatory School and Junior College soared to new heights
academically and solidified their reputation not only for excellence in the
classroom but for producing outstanding young men and women of exceptional
character.
President of Georgia Military College, Lieutenant General William B. Caldwell,
USA (Ret.) shared, ‘We are incredibly grateful to Major General Boylan for his
leadership for 21 years. Through his commitment and dedication to our
institution, he left a legacy that we continue to build on today. We will
remember him and the contributions and impact he made on our great institution.’
MG Boylan and his wife Kathy had five children: two sons and three daughters.
One of them, Emily, taught at GMC for 15 years and two of his grandsons, Elliot
and Liam, graduated from the Preparatory School. Our thoughts and prayers are
with the family as they navigate this difficult time.”
The following is from the Baldwin2K NEWS, Milledgeville, GA
When
Gen. Peter Boylan first became president of Georgia Military College in 1992,
there were plenty of cracks in the foundation.
Literally and figuratively.
There
were cracks in the road through campus, cracks in the sidewalks and even cracks
in the buildings, most notably the Old Capitol Building, which was deteriorating
and fading fast after years of neglect. To compound matters, the school's
financial situation was extra shaky. There were problems meeting payroll, and
sometimes teachers and employees wondered if they'd get a paycheck.
Fast
forward 30-something years. The Old Capitol Building, which now looks like
something straight from a postcard, is flanked by new and modern buildings
seemingly everywhere. On top of that, GMC's community college footprint is
expansive, with 15 different campuses around Georgia. GMC even offers four-year
bachelor's degrees these days.
The
man primarily responsible for GMC's 180 – Gen. Peter Boylan – passed away on
Sunday morning. Boylan, 87, was surrounded by family at his Lake Sinclair home,
according to a GMC press release.
It's
fairly fitting that Boylan passed away on Veterans Day Weekend. He was a West
Point cadet, highly-decorated Vietnam War veteran and later a West Point
instructor. Boylan, a paratrooper, was shot numerous times during a combat
mission in Vietnam and nearly bled out. Following a prolonged recovery, instead
of returning home, he jumped right back into combat action. In his later years,
Boylan walked with a very pronounced limp and hunched-over posture, a result of
jumping out of one too many airplanes during his time in the military.
Boylan later took part in the Grenada Invasion before retiring from the Army and
taking a job as president of a struggling military school in middle Georgia. It
was a long way from his boyhood home in Portage, Wisc., where he acquired the
thick midwestern accent that he never lost.
After
spending countless hours around the state capitol building in Atlanta and
hounding lawmakers, Boylan eventually got GMC's financial house in order,
including a $21 million revocation on the Old Capitol Building. Old buildings
were torn down and replaced with new ones, and GMC went from surviving to
thriving.
Boylan also one of the key players in the creation of the Oconee River Greenway,
some of which sits on GMC property. Boylan once again did his magic in Atlanta,
securing funds and cutting through bureaucratic red tape.
Following his retirement in 2013, despite being in substantial pain, Boylan
continued to volunteer around the community. Serving on the local hospital
board, Boylan helped turn around the hospital now known as Atrium Health
Navcient Baldwin, which was on life support and not doing great financially
there for several years.
In
other words, between his work at GMC, the Greenway and the local hospital,
perhaps no other person has made more of a profound and positive impact on
Baldwin County in the last 30-something years.
Boylan was an especially charismatic man and knew how to work any room, but he
also had a very low tolerance for BS. Even in his later years as president, when
he walked with a cane and mainly got around in a golf cart, it was clear who was
in charge around campus.
Boylan cared deeply for his country, and he cared deeply for Milledgeville.
Williams Funeral Home has charge of arrangements, which are pending.
Obituaries:
