Molly Rulon-Miller Fowler, 88 of Bloomfield, beloved artist, spouse, mother, and grandmother, died peacefully on October 4, 2023, in Hartford, CT. Born and raised in New York City on March 26, 1935.  Molly graduated from The Brearley School in 1953 and Smith College, Phi Beta Kappa, in 1957.

Molly was blessed with an active mind and a thirst for study, attending public school when her private school closed for breaks. While the family experienced hard times associated with the depression and an illness that hospitalized her mother, attendance at Brearley with aid allowed her to not only train her mind but also participate in a vibrant intellectual world that included musical composers, artists, business magnates and New York smart society. This exposure promoted her intellectual curiosity, worldliness and a healthy appreciation for a stable and loving family life and the virtue of Aristotelian moderation. After her marriage to her life partner, Gordon, in 1957 and a year of teaching at Brearley, the couple moved to the suburbs of Hartford.

Bearing children was difficult and she would remind her two boys on their birthdays how blessed she felt to give birth to them. Her boys in turn felt fortunate to have her both as a loving mother and continuous source of ideas and education.

While raising her children in the 60’s, she began to translate her study of art history into practice, creating and sowing her own crewel work designs. A series of eye operations in the early 70’s significantly reduced her vision and forced her to work with larger mediums. She taught herself how to weave and work with a variety of fiber including wool, cotton, and hemp. She spun her own yarn and created her own felt in the basement. Later on, she developed natural dyes using plants from her garden. At one point, she owned a mohair goat whom she had named, Oscar Wilde.

A non-conformist’s non-conformist, most of Molly’s artwork ran against many of the fashionable trends in the art world. Her work was realistic and not abstract. It was set in suburbia with a joyful rather than cynical view. She generally worked on commission for clients rather than making her art about herself. She frequently incorporated into her art the biblical references and faith that she shared with many of her clients. A clever and gentle - not biting - sense of humor found its way into many of her works.

Her works included, a portrait of partially clothed figures getting dressed at the West Hartford Swimming Pool Women’s Locker Room (Les Dames de Cornerstone), a felt portrait of the Parable of the Talents illustrated with the financial professionals from one of her family clients, and a weaving of the WGBH Morning Pro Musica Host, Robert J. Lurtsema. Her work was exhibited at the Hartford Atheneum, New Britain Museum of American Art and Smith College.

A self-professed feminist, she saw many of her achievements as a natural progression from her family's commitment to her education, an early life among a cultured and intellectual New York City elite, her parents Episcopal church attendance and the thrift and diligence of her immigrant neighborhood of Yorkville. She lived and pursued a good life with her intellectual soulmate and partner for nearly sixty-six years, Gordon B. Fowler who passed away earlier this year.

Molly left to her progeny, her sense of gratitude, her ability to make life intellectually interesting, her creativity and a mischievous sense of humor. She is survived by her sons, Gordon Fowler, Jr. (Patricia) and Douglas Fowler (Jodie), her granddaughters, Kelly Freund Wichlinski (Adam), and Genevieve Fowler, and her grandsons, Gordon Michael Fowler and Andrew Fowler.

A Memorial Service will be held at 1:00 p.m on Saturday, November 4, at St. John’s Episcopal Church, 679 Farmington Ave., West Hartford with a reception to follow at the Church. To view the livestream of Molly's Memorial Service, please visit the St. John’s Episcopal Church YouTube channel at sjparish.net/livestreams. Online condolences may be made at www.SheehanHilbornBreen.com. In lieu of flowers, the Family suggest gifts to the Brearley School, Smith College and the Brain Support Network.