Fete Lifestyle Magazine August 2016 Heroes Issue | Page 31

Everyone needs a champion or two in their life. I’m blessed to have several. Among them, my parents, a couple of lifelong friends, some mentors I’ve had along the way, and my loving husband. Still, no one has ever believed in me, and I’d venture to say no one ever will, quite like my Grandfather.

Warren R. Dolan was an extraordinary man. Born in 1925, he survived polio as a child. He survived World War 2 after his plane was shot down and spent 18 months as a prisoner of war in a German concentration camp, even coming face-to-face with Hitler himself. He was a proud resident of Detroit, Michigan and decided to stick with the city, through the riots of the late 1960’s and the turmoil that followed. He also continued to serve as a probation officer for troubled inner-city youth, which allowed him to provide for his family and save for a proper retirement.