FRANCES PALMER BOLT

Obituary

Frances Palmer Bolt, widow of Dr. Ernest A. Bolt Jr. died peacefully while watching butterflies out the window of Hope Hospice in N. Fort Myers, FL on June 12, 2010, after suffering a stroke a few days earlier. Formerly of Worcester, MA, she graduated from Classical High 1940 and continued her education at Nasson College, BU and Eastern CT. Fran was a unique woman, establishing herself as one of the top 3 women in NE in bike racing, speed skating and skiing. She raced on single fixed-gear racing bikes with no brakes and with her feet strapped so tightly to the pedals she had to be held up while stopped. She skied Tuckerman's Ravine and the Thunderbolt back in the late 30's, climbing the mountain on foot for each run on the skis. Clearly, this was a woman who knew how to live! After high school she entered into a summer romance with a skinny, handsome guy she met while working at a hotel in York, ME. He called her Stubby, Freckles and Shorty and she apparently had found her match. The initial sponge thrown at her head by this brash dishwasher blossomed into a love which would endure till his death after almost 67 years together. She loved her perennial gardens and created a woodland garden with a carpet of hundreds of daffodils each spring. She had a large yard filled with all kinds of perennials creating a riot of summer colors which would have pleased her artistic senses. She decided to explore this artistic side and studied and mastered the art of pewter, jewelry, glass sculpture, pottery, oil & acrylic painting, and finally settled on pastels as her preferred medium. She always said she was simply copying photographs, but the vibrant life in her work confirmed the scope of her talents. She was an expert seamstress with a knack for unusual designs which she wore with pride. Cut-off jeans made into a pocket book with bangles was one idea which may not have made it big, but was still pretty creative. She and Ern traveled the country extensively in their Airstream trailer, enjoyed lifelong friendships with some fine people and lived life fully while they could. They danced like they were floating long before "Dancing with the Stars" and are now together truly dancing with the stars.

She will be missed by many, including her family: Carolyn Wright, her husband Martti of Ft Myers, FL and their children Ivor, Noah and Mika; Bob Bolt of Willimantic, CT and his children Adam, Becky and Lindsay; and Dean Bolt, his wife Kathy of West Hartford, CT and their children Kelly and Chris. She also leaves a sister Jeannette Nygaard of Natick, MA and several nieces and nephews. She was pre-deceased by her brother Donald Palmer who helped inspire her early competitive pursuits and her son Chuck.

There will be calling hours at Potter Funeral Home, 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195) Willimantic on Tuesday, June 22nd , between 6:00 and 8:00 PM. In lieu of flowers or donations, tell someone close you love them and give them a hug. For online memorial guestbook and directions to the funeral home, please visit:

http://www.potterfuneralhome.com