TERESA BOLICK

BOLICK, Teresa Prominent Psychologist Teresa Bolick passed away on January 1, 2017 at her home in Westford, MA. She was 64. She is survived by her husband, Stephen Taylor, and their son, Seth Taylor. She is also survived by her father, Harold Bolick of Burlington, N.C., her sister, Jan Bolick of Chapel Hill, N.C., her nephew, Ryan Watts, of Raleigh, NC., and her brother-in-law Art Chansky of Chapel Hill, NC, originally of Newton, MA. She is predeceased by her mother, Frances Bolick. She leaves a host of relatives and friends across the country. Teresa was born in Burlington, NC, grew up in Winston-Salem, N.C. and graduated with honors from R.J. Reynolds High School in Winston-Salem. She received her B.A. in Psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Emory University in Atlanta, GA. She was an Assistant Professor in Psychology at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY where she met her husband Stephen. She moved to Massachusetts in 1984 when Steve accepted an internship in psychology at Beth Israel Hospital in Boston. During that time she accepted a position at the Matthew Thornton Health Maintenance Organization in Nashua, NH. There she nurtured and developed her specialization in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Bolick was a brilliant and accomplished psychologist. She was known and loved for her work with the many children, adolescents and their families whom she evaluated and treated during more than 30 years of practice in the southern NH area and beyond. She was a lifeline to many parents, accessible and supportive to them and their children as she helped them to navigate the social, emotional and learning issues involved in growing up with ASD. She served as an invaluable consultant to many organizations, including school districts and social service agencies. She helped teachers, specialists and health care professionals all over New England meet the special needs of students with autism spectrum disorders. Dr. Bolick was in great demand as a speaker and presented workshops for parents and professionals across North America. In addition, she served on the NH Legislative Commission on Autism Spectrum Disorders and was a member of the NH Council on ASD. She was an adjunct faculty member at Rivier University in Nashua. She is the author of two books, Asperger Syndrome and Adolescence: Helping Preteens and Teens Get Ready for the Real World, and Asperger Syndrome and Young Children: Building Skills for the Real World. In addition to her books, she authored numerous articles, book chapters, and columns in various publications. Through her teaching and writing, Dr. Bolick provided countless parents with specific strategies to guide their children through the rules and norms of school and social life. She helped families better understand and communicate with their children. In November 2015, Teresa was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and virulent form of cancer. Over the course of a year of illness and treatment, only a handful of people - her family and closest friends - knew of her situation. Teresa was able to maintain her active personal and professional life until just two weeks before her passing. With no visible indications of her illness she was able to maintain her privacy and live her trademark determined life. During that year she met the challenge of her serious illness in the manner with which she approached all of her endeavors - with grit, wit, determination and grace. This past April, Teresa, as a cancer patient in treatment, ran what would be her last Boston Marathon (her 4th in a row) to the awe and admiration of those who knew her, including her dedicated treatment team at Massachusetts General Hospital. Teresa was full of life and lived it on her terms. She leaves a large personal and professional footprint behind. Since her passing, so many have expressed their respect, regard and affection for her as someone who had an enormous impact on their lives. For those who knew her, it was clear that family, friends and her profession were what ignited and inspired her. She was truly loved, greatly respected, and will be deeply missed - and long remembered. A service to honor Teresa will be held on Sunday, February 26, at 2:00 in the afternoon. The service will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Nashua, New Hampshire. A reception will follow. For those who wish to make a memorial contribution in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Doug Flutie, Jr. Foundation for Autism at www.flutiefoundation.org.

View the online memorial for Teresa BOLICK