John Holer, the Slovenian immigrant who founded Marineland in 1961 and turned it into a Niagara Falls tourism empire, has died.

Holer died at his Chippawa Parkway home Saturday morning after falling ill in recent weeks. He was 83.

"I can confirm that Mr. Holer passed away yesterday morning at home, peacefully in his sleep with his family around him," said Holer's attorney Andrew Burns when contacted Sunday.

"He was out of the picture for the last three weeks, for sure," added a long-time family friend who asked not to be named. "It's been a very sad few weeks."

The source said Holer had been in and out of hospitals for the past five months, including the Mayo Clinic for a week, as he was "failing."

"Back and forth. He was not in good shape."

Despite his poor health in recent years, Holer continued running Marineland, frequently driving through the facility in his familiar SUV.

The park opened for its 57th season last month.

"The park is continuing to operate, and will continue to operate," said Burns, who added it is too early to comment on the status of the park's ownership.

Born in Moribor, Slovenia, Holer went to school for wine chemistry. But when his father's vineyard came under communist control after World War II, his attention instead turned to the circus, where he worked with bears and sea lions.

After emigrating to Canada and settling in Niagara, Holer landed a job with Brights Wines. But after he showed up late one day, he was fired.

That's when he decided to bring a new type of circus to town.

With just $2,000 and a one-acre plot, Holer put three sea lions in two large steel tanks and opened what was then called Marine Wonderland and Animal Farm. He charged a quarter for admission, and another quarter to feed the animals.

The park went through steady, massive expansion, and by 1975 had more than 1,000 animals.

"To me, this is my life," said Holer in one of his final interviews with The Niagara Falls Review in 2002. "Every dollar I ever made goes right back into the park."

But controversy dogged Holer most of his career. His battle with animal activists and protesters grew more heated in 2012 after former employees spoke out about conditions at the park.

Holer responded with numerous lawsuits against activists, the media and filmmakers.

Former Marineland trainer turned protester Phil Demers is still facing a $1.5 million lawsuit from the park. With Holer's passing, he now wonders about the future of the facility's wildlife.

"My thoughts today are with John's family and of course the fate of Marineland's animals," he said. "I don't know how this plays out for the future of the park, but the fight for their animals continues."

Likewise, former activist Mike Garrett, also facing a $1.5 million lawsuit, says "big changes are likely on the way" for the park.

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"There's no doubt Mr. Holer had a large impact on Niagara in the latter half of the 20th century. His legacy will be contentious for sure. My condolences go out to his family at this difficult time."

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati said Holer was a "pioneer" who made a massive impact on the city.

"He helped to bring millions of people to the city, he helped thousands of kids pay for college and university, created lot of jobs and filled a lot of hotel rooms. That impact is undeniable."

But in the face of changing public attitudes about animals in captivity, Diodati said Holer stuck to his "original vision."

"Unfortunately that was not aligning with public perception."

The park sits on 1,000 acres of land, which Diodati hopes to see remain a tourist destination.

"I'd like to see it continue as an attraction, but without the animals performing," he said. "To me it would be sad if it was turned into simply residential development when it could potentially be a major tourist attraction like a Canada's Wonderland."

Funeral arrangements for Holer are pending.

John.Law@niagaradailies.com

905-225-1644 | @JohnLawMedia

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