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FRESNO, CA – Jennifer (Jen) Bolton Ewing was born on April 20, 1934, in New York City, to William Francis Cochran Ewing and Emily Fordyce Dodge. She earned a BA in Music at Mills College (Oakland, CA). She then married Benjamin E. James and worked as a piano teacher and church organist, while raising their two sons and daughter. Jen derived great pleasure playing and teaching both jazz and classical piano. She was also a voracious reader, loved traveling, and spending time with her family. Jen divorced from her first husband, later married John T. Bolton, and became stepmother to his children. Always interested in learning and reaching out to others, Jen later earned Master’s Degrees in both Theological Studies and Clinical Psychology, and devoted herself to working for several decades as a Marriage and Family therapist at the California Counseling Institute in San Francisco, as well as a lecturer at Church Divinity School of the Pacific. Jen’s empathy and insight touched many lives and she was loved and respected by both clients and colleagues. After her retirement, she moved to North Fork, CA to be nearer to family. In 2011, after surviving a major stroke, she relocated to Coarsegold and then to Fresno for Assisted Living Support. Jen spent every summer of her early life in Sorrento, Maine, where she enjoyed many happy childhood adventures with her siblings and cousins, particularly her “partner in fun”, her same aged cousin, Bixie Rockwell. Jen and her siblings Murray, Nancy, Patty and Fordy, had a special bond to the end of their lives, even though separated by geographical distance. Jen is survived by her two sons, Ford James (Caroline Dezan) and Murray James (Kristi) and her daughter, Kate Richardson (Mark). Her step daughter, Susan Cameron, died in 2017. She has two surviving step children, John Bolton (Joan) and Jorie Townsley. She is survived by four grandchildren, Trevor James, Ben Richardson, Robin James (Kenna) and Jena Magsam James, and as well as two step grandchildren Kristina Dirks (Scott) and Eric Ellis (Jackie). She is also survived by her four great grandchildren, Troy, Austin, Ryker and Connor, her cousin Bixie and many nieces and nephews. Jen considered Donna Bauer (Bill) and Kirsten Englund (John Kifer) her honorary adopted daughters. We will miss Jen’s beautiful smile, her sense of humor and candor, and most of all, her loving, caring heart. Jen adored animals and would be so grateful for donations to any organizations that help them, such as the ASPCA, the Humane Society, the Marine Mammal Center or Local Shelters. A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at a Future date, TBA.
