The former AAM field coordinator was known for his kindness — and trademark $2 bills.
We are saddened to report that former Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) field coordinator Mickey Bolt passed away suddenly on Monday. He was 63.
A Pennsylvania native, Bolt worked at AAM from 2007 to 2012. He headed to the United Steelworkers (USW) after leaving AAM, where he served as a political technician. Bolt also spent more than 30 years working as a lab tech at Wheatland Tube in Pennsylvania.
Bolt is remembered by the AAM family as an incredibly kind person who was always available to lend a hand or just listen — and he always had a story to tell.
“Mickey had an unforgettable laugh that was as infectious as it was boisterous,” AAM President Scott Paul said. “He was unfailingly kind and thoughtful. A gentleman in the truest sense of the word.”
AAM field coordinator Ken Poweski, who worked with Bolt for about 10 years, recalled that he was “a great coworker and an even better friend.”
“He always set a great example of generosity by handing out $2 bills to most everyone, especially to those less fortunate,” Poweski said. “He truly had a heart of gold and was always available to help when needed. I’m having a ‘double kielbasa’ for you, Mick. You will be greatly missed.”
"He truly had a heart of gold and was always available to help when needed." Ken Poweski on Mickey Bolt
AAM field coordinator Meghan Hasse remembered Bolt as a person with "so much love to give" and "so much wisdom to share."
"He was adventurous and always had a story to tell. There was no distance too far to travel or time too short. He was always there to listen or help in any way he could," she recalled. "He was easily one of the kindest souls I have ever met. He was an angel on earth. Whether we shared a conversation in person or over the phone, it was always a good one. His little chuckle of a laugh was infectious and bound to make your day great."
Debra Ackerman, who currently serves as AAM's field coordinator in Pennsylvania, said she got to witness many of Bolt’s acts of kindness firsthand at USW headquarters in Pittsburgh.
“When he would come back from trips he would stop at different offices in USW headquarters and leave off something he had found that he knew would be appreciated,” Ackerman said. “He was like a walking gift list, could remember what people said they liked.”
Bolt also frequently sent postcards to people, Ackerman said. “The ones I saw had pictures of things like old steel mills on the front,” she said.
Ackerman also remembered Bolt’s “steady supply” of $2 bills.
“One evening I took my youngest grandson with me to a town hall in Farrell, Pennsylvania,” she recalled. “Sure enough, when the meeting was over, Mickey walked up to my grandson, handed him a $2 bill and said he was glad to meet him.”
Calling hours for Bolt will be held from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 10 at the Harold W. Stevenson Funeral Home in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Funeral services will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Monday at Notre Dame Catholic Church in Hermitage, Pennsylvania.