Lee N. Bolen, 79, professor of physics at the University of Mississippi, died Sept. 5, 2016, after a lengthy battle with multiple myeloma cancer. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 12, 2016, in the Chapel of Waller Funeral Home with the Rev. Claire Dobbs and the Rev. Warren Black officiating. A catered reception and visitation will take place Sunday afternoon, Sept. 11, 2016, from 4 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in West Hall at Waller Funeral Home.

Lee was born June 11, 1937, the son of Lee N. Bolen, Sr. and Nell Bradley Bolen. He is survived by Modine Day Bolen, wife, of Oxford, and Brett Day Bolen, son, of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Lee was a graduate of Messick High School in Memphis, Tennessee, received his undergraduate degree at the University of Mississippi and completed his master’s and doctoral studies at the University of Virginia. After a post-doctoral position at UVA he came to the University of Mississippi where he taught for 35 years.

In addition to teaching classes he was a major component working with other physics faculty to bring the National Center of Physical Acoustics to the University of Mississippi. He chaired the committee for the planning of the Gertrude Castellow Ford Center for the Performing Arts. He served as president of the university chapter of Phi Kappa Phi, the University’s highest scholastic honor prior to Phi Beta Kappa coming to the campus. He was chair of the Faculty Senate. He was instrumental in establishing the Faculty Technology Development Center. He was active in the Mississippi Association of Physicists as well as many national scientific organizations.

He conducted research for the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, National Science Foundation, Army Research Office, U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research and the office of Naval Research. Many summer sessions he taught High School and Junior College teachers lessons to help them become better physics teachers. When he retired from the university, many people in the Oxford community knew him as the senior citizen computer teacher, a weekly class, which continued for 12 years or more.

Memorial contributions in Dr. Bolen’s memory may be made to the Lee N. Bolen, Jr. Scholarship Endowment for undergraduate or graduate students in the Department of Physics, The University of Mississippi Foundation, 406 University Avenue, Oxford, MS 38655 or the charity of the donor’s choice.

For additional information or to sign an online guestbook, visit our website at www.wallerfuneralhome.com or call 662-234-7971.