Mary T. Colton

Colton, Mary Travers, age 96. of Tampa, FL passed away on June 14, 2022 at her home. Mary was born on March 10, 1926 in Seekonk, Massachusetts. She was the youngest child of Joseph Travers and Sylvia Almeida Costa Travers. She will now be in her heavenly home with her parents and siblings, Joseph, Sylvia (Corbett) and John.

As a child, Mary was an avid reader, loved school and was the helper to her elementary school teachers as well as the librarian. She often retold stories of counting the cars that drove past her home as they traveled through the small town of Seekonk, which changed drastically with the arrival of a major multiplex cinema decades later.

The small town life of Seekonk did not suit Mary. As a young adult, she would travel by bus to downtown Providence RI to work full time. At a time when long travel was not common for a young person, she moved across the country to California to start a new life there. Settling in Oakland, she lived a short time there visiting cousins who also had moved west. Shortly, she came back east and settled in Delaware, marrying and having her first two children, Dwight Boutwell (deceased) and Kevin Boutwell (wife Nancy). She kept a fondness for California her entire life.

As a young mother, Mary found herself moving to Florida from Delaware. It was here in Tampa that Mary as a young (now single) mother flourished. It was a very difficult start but Mary was determined to stay in Tampa and make it her home. And she did. Creating a loving home for her two boys was supported only by her hard work in full time jobs as a car title and registration clerk.

In 1960, she met her future husband Arthur “Jim” Colton and after a long period of dating, they married in 1966. At this time the family grew and Mary, Arthur, her two boys, and his daughter Susan Colton, moved to their family home. Mary kept her car title and registration business while helping Arthur start a new business in floral supplies. The three children kept them busy, as did her great cooking for family gatherings.

Together they created Southeastern Company Wholesale Florist Supplies which at one point was one of the biggest floral supply companies for central Florida. The business was her passion and helped support the family. Again,the family grew in 1971, when their fourth child Kimberly Colton (husband Jason) was born. Now, as a family of four kids, there were many marriages, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Mary was “Nana” to 12 grandchildren, Heather (husband Jason) Jessica, Jessie (deceased) Justin, Adam , Ramona (husband Dalton ), Trevor(wife Kimberly), Jordan, Zachary, John, Joseph, Daniel, and 3 great grandchildren Katelin, Savannah and Grant and 1 great grandchild, Bryson.

Mary and Arthur were able to travel and some of their favorite places were family trips with all 4 children and grandchildren to Walt Disney World, fishing trips to their fishing camp in Inverness, and travel back to New England to see her brothers, sisters and cousins there. There were also trips each year to Dallas,TX or Atlanta, GA. Eventually this travel expanded to the mountain west, and a trip to Hawaii. They also were avid Tampa sports fans and had season tickets to the Tampa Bay Bandits and Tampa Bay Buccaneers at one time.

In later years, Mary continued to travel but was able to dedicate her time to her life long passion of reading, playing card games and other board games. At her church home, Forest Hills Presbyterian Church, she was known for her skills at various games of Bunco, Rummikub, and others, but also was fond of playing games with her grandchildren at holiday gatherings. She was known for her hot hands and good runs. An animal and pet-lover with many dogs over the years, more recently she was known for taking care of the various neighborhood cats.Her vibrant social life was supported by dear church friends, both men and women, who remained close to her and her family. She worked in the kitchen at FHPC on the Wednesday Night Dinners and also the FHPC Church Bazaar Bake Sales.

In the past weeks, she had told us that her greatest accomplishment was her children, but her family would say that it was her independence and never giving up. Many thanks are given to those who helped care for Mary in her last few months of life.

Relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend a visitation at Blount Curry Funeral Home 3207 W Bearss avenue in Carrollwood from 5 to 7pm on Thursday, July 28, 2022. All are welcome to a memorial service at Forest Hills Presbyterian Church 709 W Linebaugh Avenue, at 11:00am Friday July 29, 2022.

Flowers are welcome, or donations to Forest Hills Presbyterian Church Forest Hills Presbyterian Church https://foresthillstampa.church/# or the World Wildlife Foundation Mary Colton memorial page https://support.worldwildlife.org/site/TR/PandaNation/Panda-Nation?px=17906013&pg=personal&fr_id=1402