Constance Tolman

Constance “Connie” (Bigelow) Tolman, 89 of Cohasset passed away April 11th at home surrounded by her family. 

Connie grew up in Cohasset, and she and Peter returned to Cohasset in 1976 after several years living in Scituate and Milton, NH.  She was the daughter of the late Cleveland Bigelow and Frances Constance (Folsom) Bigelow of Cohasset.  She was the sister of the late Cleveland Bigelow, Jr, George Bigelow and Joseph Bigelow.  Connie attended Cohasset Country Day School, then Derby Academy until 1940, and graduated from Beaver Country Day School in 1942. 

She was an avid gardener and birder, a lover of nature’s beauty.  She enjoyed reading and always had a book near.  She enjoyed traveling with her husband, visiting museums, attending musical performances of the Boston symphony, the Pops, musical theater and jazz. Connie attended a jazz performance weekly over 30 years at PJs in Scituate.  She sang in the Hingham Civic Chorus and participated in the Cohasset Dramatic Club for years along with her husband Peter.

Connie was a longtime member of the First Parish Unitarian Church in Scituate, and also attended the First Parish Church in Cohasset for a period of time.  She and her husband sang in the choirs for many years.  She was an active member and officer of the Women’s Alliance of the Scituate church.  She also volunteered for the Cohasset Senior Center as a driver of the senior shuttle.

Beloved wife of Peter Hobart Tolman for 57 years, she was the mother of David B. Smith and wife Beth of Winslow, AR; Constance “Connie” (Smith) Hodo of Mt. Pleasant, SC; Doug Tolman and wife Susan of Scituate; Celia “Cici” B. Franklin of Eagle, CO; and Stuart Tolman and wife Aileen of Moscow, Idaho. Connie was the grandmother of 10 grandchildren; Laura, Carolyn, Scott, Sarah, Amy, Corey, Keaton, Jhovi, David and Julianne. 

A memorial service will be held in the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, Scituate, MA when family can be present, and burial will be at a later date at the Cohasset Central Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the MSPCA, 350 S. Huntington Ave., Jamaica Plain, MA 02130, or the Massachusetts Audubon Society at www.massaudubon.org.