Jilda Bolton died on June 5, 2023, of Alzheimer’s disease. She was born Jilda Gayle Frazier on October 17, 1950, to Margaret Ann (Nan) and Curtis Lee Frazier in Fort Worth, Texas. She graduated from Paschal High School in 1968 and attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. There she met her first husband, Peter Michael Bottoni. They moved to Austin, Texas, for Peter to attend graduate school at UT. Their daughter, Sarah Bottoni (Roden), was born in 1974. Following her divorce from Peter, she married Richard M Bolton II. Jilda and Richard were married for 47 years.
Jilda was kind, funny, generous, gracious, artistic, and admired for her personal qualities and professionalism. She was employed by The University of Texas at Austin as an administrator and retired in 2008 as the executive assistant to the Chairman of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering after 37 years of service to the university. Jilda loved her work and the people she worked with. The first chairman she worked for in Civil Engineering wrote, “Jilda was a remarkable person and a pleasure to be associated with, both as a colleague and a friend. She earned the respect and admiration of everyone with whom she interacted.”
Although she thought of herself as an introvert, she was friendly and welcoming, loved to have fun, and engaged with the lives of family, friends, and co-workers. She enjoyed trips to the McDonald Observatory with Professor Ray Duncombe and his students and was fascinated by the landscape of West Texas, especially Big Bend National Park. The highlight of Jilda’s travels was her daughter’s gift of a trip to New York City just before her Alzheimer’s diagnosis was confirmed in 2020.
She enjoyed attending theater performances from national touring companies and local performers and musical performances with friends and family.
She had an enormous creative talent, and her enthusiasm was contagious. Jilda liked to stay busy and was always trying new things. Some of her interests were sewing, reading, cooking, baking, cake decorating, volunteering at local elections, cross stitching, quilting, teaching people to read, Hardanger embroidery, calligraphy, walking 5K races, jewelry making, weightlifting, papercraft, and card making. She traveled to trade shows and classes throughout the country with friends to increase her knowledge and enhance her talent.
We are grateful for the loving care that Jilda received during the final months of her life from the memory care staff at Parmer Woods at North Austin and Amedysis Hospice.
Jilda is survived by her husband, Richard, daughter Sarah Roden; son-in-law, Will Roden; granddaughters, Zoe Roden and Ava Roden; and the many people who loved her. She was preceded by her parents and brother, Curtis Lee Frazier Jr.
No services are planned. Her family will celebrate Jilda’s life privately.
Please make donations in Jilda’s memory to Austin Pets Alive, https://www.austinpetsalive.org/
You may leave your remembrances of Jilda at https://www.cremation.green/obits/