Lansing community 'reeling' after death of employee in fire at small business incubator

LANSING — John Bolan was the type of person who walked into the room and "sprinkled glitter everywhere," his cousin said.

The 43-year-old's personality shone; he was someone who could walk into any room and instantly make everything better, his cousin, Kim Bancroft, said Sunday.

"He had a way of making you feel beautiful, just because you were near him," Bancroft said. "He was a beautifully flawed person, just like we all are." 

Bolan's body was found at the Lansing Eastside Gateway after a fire started at the small business incubator early Sunday. He worked at the incubator, which was a small collective of about 25 local businesses, owner Yvonne LeFave said. 

"We're all reeling with this loss," LeFave said. "He was the 'Gateway's left-hand man' as he liked to joke, helping our vendors with setup, maintenance, or just a ready smile and some kind words."

He was planning a series of gardening workshops, the first of which was the day before Bolan died. 

"We all lost a lot, but Johnny lost the most," LeFave said. 

On Monday, the community began to decorate the security fence outside the Eastside Gateway, which is at 615 E. Kalamazoo Street. Several plants and wicker baskets hung on the fence, representing Bolan's love of gardening. A few purple balloons were tied tightly to the top of the fence. 

It is not clear why Bolan was in the building when the fire began at about 5 a.m. Firefighters were told a person who had been sleeping in the back of the building was still inside, Lansing Fire Department spokesperson Steve Mazurek said Sunday. Due to structural issues, crews were not able to gain access, he added. 

Sarah Evans, who sold nature illustrations at the Gateway through her business, Downy Tree Art, remembered Bolan from a gardening class he led at the incubator.

Bolan was passionate about animals and the environment, she said. He talked about expanding the incubator’s operations to include community gardening.

“He had these big ideas,” Evans said. “He was really just a kind-hearted soul.”

Bolan also taught yoga at Just B Yoga in Lansing, Bancroft said. For him, it wasn't just physical exercise. It was about spiritual connectedness. He'd found Buddhism to bring peace to his troubled soul, Bancroft said, and yoga helped. 

Bolan came out as gay when he was young, and he was abused at school because of it, Bancroft said. It caused him a lot of pain. All he wanted to do was find peace in the world, she said. 

"He struggled every day to have peace," Bancroft said. "He wanted to share it." 

He loved giving back, something Bancroft didn't always understand. She said her cousin was the type of person to give someone his meal when he hadn't eaten in a week. 

When she first found out about Bolan's death, Bancroft said she didn't want to believe it. Dying in a fire is a horrific way to die, she said, and she prayed he was asleep and never woke up to the panic of being trapped in a burning building. 

Now, she wants friends and family to remember his life, instead of his death.

"He would not want to be remembered as a small piece of pain and tragedy," Bancroft said. "He should be remembered for the way he made everyone happy." 

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Reporter Sarah Lehr contributed to this report. Contact Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.