If New York had Brooke Astor, Pittsburgh had Dolores Bold. The grande dame of local society gave of her time as generously as her money, staying active until the final weeks of her life.
She died Wednesday morning of cancer at UPMC Shadyside. She was 89.
Exactly two weeks earlier, she was the toast of a party given in her honor at the East End home of Henry and Elsie Hillman. Dressed as always in a chic suit, beautiful jewelry and substantial makeup, Mrs. Bold looked frail but delighted as members of the Civic Light Opera Guild thanked her for 55 years of service.
"She was such a community treasure," said Mrs. Hillman. "I've known her for over 30 years. She's been a wonderful friend and somebody you could turn to when there was something that needed to be done. She gave of herself always and helped so many people, and had a lot of fun doing it."
Their friendship began when Mrs. Bold and her husband, Walter, an executive with Federated Investors, became involved in Republican politics in the 1960s.
A former president of the Allegheny County Federation of Republican Women, Mrs. Bold was active in more than 20 organizations, often in leadership capacities. She was especially committed to the Civic Light Opera Guild and the Twenty-Five Club of Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC, and her philanthropic efforts ranged from the Little Sisters of the Poor to the Pittsburgh AIDS Task Force.
"It would be impossible to overstate the generosity and dedication that Dolores brought to her work with Pittsburgh CLO," said executive producer Van Kaplan. "Her energy and enthusiasm were an inspiration to everyone who had the pleasure to work with her, and she was a constant source of encouragement and support."
Mrs. Bold was a member of numerous boards and organizations during more than 50 years, including the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera, Duquesne University Women's Advisory Board, P.O.W.E.R., American Heart Association, Point Park University, La Roche College, St. Lucy's Auxiliary, Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy and Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums. She met her close companions, Dr. Elliott Kramer and Bill Modrak, through the last organization when she was the host of a cocktail party before a trip to Rome.
"We walked in the front door and she was standing in her living room," remembered Dr. Kramer. "She looked over and in that gravelly voice said, 'Who are those two?' We just became instant friends and started traveling together."
The three friends traveled to Rome several times, and Mrs. Bold counted their two private audiences with Pope John Paul II among the highlights of her life. They also visited Russia, Scandinavia, Hawaii and the Far East, where Mrs. Bold rode her first elephant at the age of 80.
"I was more afraid than she was," laughed Dr. Kramer. "She was the most fun person to be away with because she would do anything. ... She was a party person who would stay up until 2 when we were away."
Mrs. Bold was never politically correct. Her fondness for 101-proof Wild Turkey bourbon was legendary, and favorite dining spots kept a bottle for her behind the bar. She drank and smoked, until the end, enjoying the look on her doctor's faces when she told them she started smoking at the age of 6.
In fact, she would roll cigarettes for her father, a carpenter, and sneak a few for herself to smoke behind the outhouse. Born Dolores Martina Turk, she grew up simply as the fourth of five children in the countryside of Allison Park. After graduating second in her class at Shaler High School, she moved to Pittsburgh and became a secretary. She met her husband, who was one of the first salesmen for Federated Investors, when he walked into her office one day.
"He asked her out, and I believe on their first date he took her to see a CLO production in the tent," said her niece, Marilyn Lynch of Allison Park. "It started her love of not only Walter but the CLO. She wasn't one to sit on the sidelines. She was strong, extremely intelligent and very sharp. In an era when people her age are petrified of computers, she was extremely computer savvy. She lived life to the fullest and was happiest going out every single night of the week."
The couple married in 1954 and moved in with Mrs. Bold's mother in Stanton Heights so she could take care of her mother. They later bought a home in Shadyside that boasted the most Christmas lights possible on a single structure every winter, and where Mrs. Bold continued to reside after her husband's death in 1990. The couple had no children, but Mrs. Bold participated in her husband's career and was known to donate Federated stock for auctions and raffles. They lived for a time in Los Angeles, where her husband was launching exchange funds for Federated, and her community involvement began as a way to network for Mr. Bold.
"They both worked for Federated in a sense -- Dee was a great salesperson," said Dick Fisher, a longtime friend and chairman of Federated Securities. "She was a dynamic person, fun to be with. Dee had her own opinions on just about everything and was not hesitant to express herself. She came from a strong Catholic background and finally persuaded Walter to join.."
Ms. Bold, who balanced her checkbook to the penny every month, was most proud of having been a delegate to the 1960 Republican National Convention, of having once had dinner with President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Andrew Lloyd Webber, and of playing cards with Richard Nixon in the Bahamas with her dear friend, the late Connie Rockwell.
Mrs. Bold treated everyone with warmth and respect, regardless of social position. But she always kissed her friends hello, and said "love ya" instead of goodbye.
Visitation will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday at John A. Freyvogel Funeral Home, 4900 Centre Ave., Shadyside. A Mass will be celebrated Saturday at 10:30 a.m. in St. Paul Cathedral, Fifth Avenue, Oakland.
From the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Shadyside theater-lover was spirited fundraiser
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Dolores Bold
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By Jerry
Vondas PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW Thursday, April 29, 2010
Everyone on Dolores Bold's donor list knew what she wanted when she
called.
"Dee and her husband, Walter, were a great team who raised money for
such worthwhile organizations as the Twenty-Five Club of Magee-Womens
Hospital," said Richard B. Fisher, chairman of Federated Securities and
vice president of Federated Investors.
Fisher of Oakland recalled Mrs. Bold as a friend who spent a lifetime
raising money for deserving charitable, educational and medical
institutions.
Dolores Bold of Shadyside, a board member of the Pittsburgh Civic
Light Opera and a past president of the Civic Light Opera Guild, died on
Wednesday, April 28, 2010, in UPMC Shadyside. She was 89.
The Bolds were involved with La Roche College in McCandless, where,
because of their friendship and generosity, the college named its newest
and largest residence the Bold Residence Hall, and the chapel, the
Magdalen Chapel, in honor of Walter Bold's mother, Magdalena Mauer.
"Dolores became acquainted as a young lady with the Sisters of Divine
Providence, who later founded La Roche College in 1963," said Sister
Candace Introcaso, the college's president. "In the 1920s, Dolores'
father, Michael Turk, who was a skilled woodworker and lumber merchant,
built the steeple that sits atop the Motherhouse to this day."
A Shaler native, Dolores Turk was one of five children in the family
of Michael and Mary Lokar Turk. Following graduation from Shaler High
School, where she excelled as a student and graduated second in her
class, Dolores Turk worked as a secretary until she married Walter Bold
in 1953.
"It was typical of my aunt's love of the theater that, on their first
date, they attended a Civic Light Opera production in Pitt Stadium,"
said her niece, Marilyn Lynch of Allison Park. "My aunt was a strong
woman who was devoted to her husband's career, especially when he became
associated with Federated Investors."
Dr. Elliott Kramer recalled Mrs. Bold's commitment to young people.
"Dee was interested in having young men and women who were interested
in theater arts receive scholarships," Kramer said.
He recalled how Mrs. Bold established a scholarship for local high
school seniors pursuing further education in the performing arts.
She was involved in The Starmakers Gala, an annual event that
benefits students, programs and facilities at Point Park University's
Conservatory of Performing Arts.
"Dolores inspired us with her volunteerism, her spirit and her zeal
for creating a fairer and better Pittsburgh," said Jean Horne, executive
editor of Fanfare Magazine.
In addition to her niece, Marilyn, Mrs. Bold is survived by her
nephew, William R. Zinsmeister of Shaler. She was preceded in death by
her husband, Walter Bold in 1990; nieces Marie Zinsmeister, Stephanie
Hollis and Agnes Pike; and nephew, Alvin Turk.
Friends will be received from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday in John A. Freyvogel
Sons Inc., 4900 Centre Ave., Shadyside. A Mass of Christian Burial will
be 10:30 a.m. Saturday in St. Paul Cathedral, Oakland.
