Frances (Cressey) Seasholes, decades-long participant in Newton community organizations, mother of four, and widow of Tufts Professor Bradbury Seasholes, died on November 13, 2012 at age 79.
During her 56 years in Newton she was actively involved with The League of Women Voters, the Newton PTAs of Bowen, Weeks and Newton South High School, The Arlington Street Church (UUA), The Second Church in Newton (UCC), Newton Dialogues on Peace and War, The Newton Conservators, The Newton Green Decade, Newton Community Development Foundation, The Newton Centre Task Force and the Newton/San Juan del Sur (Nicaragua) Sister City Project.
Fran was raised in Syracuse, NY, educated at Oberlin College, the American University of Beirut (Lebanon) and the University of North Carolina.
As a Child Welfare Social Worker she was employed by the Orange County (NC) Welfare Department, The New England Home for Little Wanderers, The Gaebler Children's Hospital, and Protestant Social Service Bureau (now ISS in Quincy).
In recent years Fran and her husband traveled widely and provided homestays for about 225 foreign students here to study English.
She is survived by their four partnered children and two grandchildren: Laura Seasholes, Brian Booth and Andrew Barton of Seattle, Catherine Seasholes and April Calvert of Mequon, WI, Edward and Bereniz Seasholes of Framingham, Kenneth Seasholes, Andrea Chiasson and Hope Seasholes of Tucson, AZ. Her sisters are Marjorie Bowler of Newtown, PA and Eleanor Webster of Montpelier, VT.
A memorial service will be held at the Second Church in Newton on December 3, 2012, at 7:00 PM.
