Mary Bolte

Mary Ellen Dickson Bolte, age 85, passed away June 13, 2022.

Mary was born in Lynnville, Tennessee at the home of her maternal grandmother. Mary grew up in Belvidere, Tennessee with six sisters and one brother, graduating from Franklin County High School in 1954 (with Johnny Majors). After obtaining a degree from Draughns Business College in Nashville, Mary began a series of positions in the insurance business, and later worked for the City of Las Vegas, where she and her husband of 65 years, Ed Bolte, were married in 1957. After Ed was discharged from the Navy, Mary and Ed returned to Nashville and became one of the original settlers of the City of Brentwood when they bought their home on Forest Lawn Drive in 1963. Ed and Mary never lived in another house after that.

While raising two daughters, Diana and Paula, Mary began a career as an accounting manager at Family & Children’s Service, where she faithfully served under five different Chief Executive Officers over a period of 50 years. An icon at Family and Children’s Service, she was affectionately and reverently known at FCS as “Miss Mary”. When not working, which it was rare, Mary was an inveterate traveler, having traveled to most of Europe, he Caribbean, and the Holy Land. Her other favorite local past-time was attending performances at TPAC, which she did over a couple of decades, beach trips over many years to Orange Beach, and making a particular point to never miss a family outing or get together were other wonderful ways in which Mary spent her days. She particularly loved the many summer houseboat and lake house trips on Center Hill Lake. The true loves of her life were her four grandsons, their wives and her great grandchildren.

Mary is survived by her husband (of 65 years) Ed, and two daughters, Diana Bass and Paula (Matt) Harris. Mary was “grandma” to her four grandchildren: Dr. Bennett (Colleen) Harris, Chandler (Samantha) Harris, Clay (Kelly) Harris, and Sam Bass, and “great grandma” to her three great grandchildren, Harper Harris, Jack Harris, and Hart Harris.

Mary is survived by three sisters, Irene (Steve) Bradford, June (Joe) Phillips, and Margaret (Roger) Kruger and many loving nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents: Helen English Owen Dickson and Caleb Tucker Dickson, brother: Owen Dickson, and sisters: Linda Beasley, Faye Dickson, and Bettye Butler.

Visitation will be held Saturday, June 18, 2022 from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. with a Celebration of Life immediately following at 10:00 a.m. All services will be held at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home, 9090 Hwy 100, Nashville, TN 37221.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Alive Hospice, 1718 Patterson Street, Nashville, TN 37203, or Alivehospice.org. The family would like to thank all of Mary’s amazing caregivers: Adela, Kebah, Hillary, Kimmie, Donna, Tanyjia and Kila.