Olander, James "Jim Boa" C.T.S.
BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — James "Jim Boa" Olander, C.T.S., of Bay St. Louis, Miss., peacefully slipped away in New Orleans, Mardi Gras day, Tuesday, March 1, 2022, at the age of 67. The love of his life, soulmate and best friend, Virginia, never left his side. He was a wonderful and loving husband, father, grandfather and lifelong friend to many.
Jim Boa’s bright light will be dearly missed by his loving wife of 28 years, Virginia; his son, John J. Olander of Albany; and his daughter, Rebekah Aronson (Nathan) of Metairie, La. His grandchildren will miss his fun-loving personality including Benjamin Aronson of Metairie, La., and beautiful granddaughters, Sarah and Emma Myers of New Orleans, La., all who called him Grampy BoBo.
Jim Boa was born in Albany on February 1, 1955. He was the loving son of the late John J. Olander and Ruth K. Olander of Albany. He was predeceased by his older brothers, E. David Olander and Joseph Olander; and his beloved Golden Retriever, Ella. He is survived by his sisters, Ruth Smith (Don) of Albany, Carole Stevens (Jack) of Voorheesville, and Deborah Olander (Joseph Ferguson) of Andover, Mass.; and brother, David Olander (Caren) of Morristown, N.J. He is also survived by many loving nieces, nephews, cousins and lifelong friends.
Jim Boa’s infectious smile and sunny disposition were his trademarks. He became an audio engineer and in 1981 moved to New Orleans without knowing one person in the Big Easy. In 1983, he delivered gear to the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and his easy-going manner, sense of humor and love of live music did not go unnoticed. The rest is history. In 1984, he was the audio supervisor for the 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans. He became a part of music production arm at Jazz Fest at the same time where he worked the annual Jazz Fest until his death.
In 1999, Harrah’s New Orleans hired Jim Boa to manage the audio and visual and live event productions including producing the Earl Turner Show and Allen Toussaint’s 75th birthday celebration. He received his C.T.S. (certified technology specialist) and in 2001, Harrah’s awarded him the HERO of the year for volunteering the most hours around the city for those needing a helping hand.
In 2015, Jim Boa and Virginia retired and moved to Bay St. Louis, Miss. Together, they wrote a cookbook in 2021 and also produced a documentary film "Connections Matter: An Oral History of the People and Places of Hancock County, Mississippi." Jim Boa was a rockhound surrounding their gardens with rocks from their travels. He also had an enviable collection of Hawaiian shirts, colorful socks, hats, bowties for steppin’ out and dancing shoes to cut a rug. Jim Boa’s earthly journey included this model: love hard, work hard, play hard and give back with a helping hand whenever needed.
To honor Jim Boa’s life, help someone in need or tell those you love what they mean to you. Jim Boa is an