Jason Michael Bullard, 42, of The Dalles, passed away on March 15 after a two-year battle with Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Jason was born on July 18, 1979, to Michael Edward and Lorena Lynn Bullard in Flint, Michigan. After graduating from Bendle High School in 1998, Jason enlisted in the US Army and was stationed in Ft. Lewis, WA. After his Army service, Jason enlisted in the US Coast Guard and was stationed in Bellingham, WA and Port Angeles, WA.

Jason married Tria Bullard in 2004 and gained a beautiful daughter, Sydney, who he had an immediate close bond and connection with. He and Tria have two sons, Jaeden and Ryan. The greatest joy of Jason’s life was being a father to his three children.

In 2005, Jason sustained a life-changing back injury. Unable to pursue his dreams of becoming a rescue swimmer, he was medically retired from the US Coast Guard in 2007.

After his injury, Jason found his passion through coaching and by sharing his love of fitness and health. He was a big kid at heart and had a special way of connecting with people. He could talk to anyone and was most often one of the loudest in the room, to which his family often remarked, “He’s a Bullard.” Whether on the field or the court, he was there supporting his kids and countless others.

Jason was extremely competitive and passionate about sports and would often lose his voice by the end of a game, either from coaching or by “conversing” with the refs. As a personal trainer, he found ways to push his clients further than they ever thought physically possible, and they loved him for it. Through the groans and resistance of “You want me to do WHAT?!” he formed many close friendships and is responsible for getting people into the best shape of their lives, an accomplishment he was very proud of.

Being a soccer coach was Jason’s true love and the families he met through the sport became his own family. He dedicated many years to coaching and many kids still call him ‘Coach’ to this day. In addition to soccer, he coached Little League, middle school basketball, and was a PE teacher.

As a father, Jason instilled in his kids a love of 90’s rap and alternative music, a competitive spirit, an ethos of giving to others, and the importance of laughter. He was the playful parent, always up for shooting some hoops, taking the boys fishing, or being the instigator of some sort of prank or joke. In addition to sports and fitness, he loved science, peanut butter, dogs, babies, hiking, and being outdoors. He cherished his time growing up on the family farm in Michigan and the close bond he had with his family back there.

Jason is survived by his parents Michael and Lorena Bullard of Flint, MI, his sister Shannon (Jordan) Gill, a niece and two nephews (Jared, Lilliana, and Everett) of Holly, MI, his children Sydney (21), Jaeden (16) and Ryan (13), and his girlfriend, Jen Bartholomew of Tualatin, who beautifully cared for him until he took his last breath.

In lieu of flowers, the family has set up a scholarship fund at Gorge Soccer Academy to enable Jason to continue having an impact on kids in the Gorge who want to pursue their love of soccer. A celebration of life is being planned for Saturday, April 2nd at Bargeway Pub followed by a memorial soccer game at Wahtonka Field at 4 p.m.