BLOSSOM BUDNEY TRESSELT

BLOSSOM BUDNEY TRESSELT - SOUTH BURLINGTON - Blossom Budney Tresselt, of Allen Road, South Burlington, died Thursday morning, March 15, 2012. She was many things: artist, author, scholar, teacher, wife, mother, grandmother, friend and mentor. Blossom was born on July 11, 1921, in Chicago, Ill., to Morris and Bess (Rothman) Budney. After studying at the Frederick Mizen Academy of Art and the Art Institute, she left her beloved Chicago for New York City in the mid-1940s, where she participated in the ballet, jazz, and art scenes of that era, and worked at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as an exhibit designer. On April 9, 1949, she married award-winning children's book author and editor, Alvin R. Tresselt. In 1955, with their young daughter, Ellen, they moved to Redding, Conn., where they would spend the next 37 years. In 1992, Blossom and Alvin moved to Burlington, to be closer to their daughter, India, and grandsons, Loren and Connor. While in Connecticut, Blossom was active in the League of Women Voters. In the early 1960s, she enrolled at Western Connecticut State College in Danbury, Conn., where over the next several years she earned bachelor's degrees in history and English and completed the course work for a master's degree in English. Subsequently, she was an adjunct professor of English at Wesconn. In 1954, her first picture book for children, A Kiss Is Round, was published. More books followed: N is for Nursery School, The Big Day, Huff Puff Hickory Hill, My Pony Joker, A Cat Can't Count, Tobias and his Big Red Satchel (as ghostwriter), and After Dark. Later, she taught hundreds, if not thousands of students, the finer points of writing for children as a teacher at the Institute for Children's Literature. Blossom was a woman of varied and eclectic tastes and interests. An excellent cook, she loved food. She enjoyed music, from jazz and Billie Holliday to Eric Clapton. She was an avid reader and deadly Scrabble player. Though not herself athletic, she enjoyed watching horseracing, baseball, and ice skating, but perhaps her favorite spectator sport was politics. With CNN always on in the background, to the very end she was politically engaged and concerned about the state of the country, and the world. Her greatest joys were her children and grandchildren. She was our strongest advocate, loudest cheerleader, and most devoted mother and grandmother. Blossom was predeceased by her parents; her sister, Rochelle; and her husband, Alvin. She is survived by her daughter, Ellen V. Tresselt, of Danbury, Conn.; her daughter, India R. Tresselt and son-in-law, Andrew Fulton of Westford; and grandsons, Loren and Connor Fulton, of Westford. We would like to thank Dr. Richard Tonino for his care and attention over the last 20 years; the staff and other residents of Allenwood Apartments, Pillsbury Manor, for the kindness, security, and friendship they gave Blossom for the last eight years; her physical therapist, Sue Cromwell, for keeping her moving; and finally, the ER staff at Fletcher Allen Health Center, especially nurses Minnika and Joan and Dr. Wendy James, for their compassionate care for Blossom and her family during her final hours. Arrangements are in care of Stephen C. Gregory of C. Gregory & Sons Cremation Service, Shelburne.