By Rick Winterson

     Dolley Carlson volunteered for this year’s Laboure Tours.  She and her husband, Tom, are long-time California residents, but she hasn’t forgotten her Southie roots.  She’s writing a novel about South Boston and will be back for the 2006 Laboure House Tours.

     Traditions are one of the ingredients that hold South Boston together.  And they don’t always have to go back for generations.  As an example, the 100+ year tradition of the L Street New Year Day swim is balanced by many celebrations and fundraisers that are ten years old or less.  As 2005 ends, remember:  you may have unknowingly been in on a tradition that began just over three weeks ago.

     Dolley Carlson is a successful author and inspirational speaker, who came from South Boston and now lives in California.  She heard about the Laboure Tours via South Boston Online and offered to donate a set of her books.  When Judy Swanson heard that Dolley and her husband, Tom, were visiting Boston early in December, she asked Dolley to participate.  Dolley immediately volunteered and attended the reception on Saturday evening.  Sheconducted a book-signing on Sunday afternoon.

     Dolley and Tom were so delighted with their “welcome-home” that they’ve promised to come back in 2006 for the Laboure Tours.  And thus a new tradition may have started.

     Dolley lived in the Old Colony projects, the daughter of Rita (King) and Robert Dolley.  Rita’s parents were originally from Ireland; she was one of nine children.   Dolley went to school at St. Augustine, Blessed Sacrament in Jamaica Plain, and St. Gregory in Dorchester.   

     Her father, Robert, was a beat cop on the Common, Beacon Hill, and the North End, and then became a Detective/Crime Photographer.  Her mother, Rita, worked on the waitstaff part-time at Steuben’s.  Dolley had a brother, Bobby (now deceased), and has a sister, Rita.  And just to reduce any confusion, Dolley’s given name is “Ruth Ann”.  Nowadays, she uses her maiden name, Dolley, as part of her professional name.

     Dolley’s father visited his uncle in California in the 50s, and fell in love with the area.  He moved the family out there, and became a private investigator for an agency in Hollywood.  Eventually, he joined the Pacific Maritime Association and rose to become responsible for security of the entire Los Angeles Harbor.  But there were tragedies in Dolley’s life – she lost her mother, Rita, at 17; her father, Robert, died when she was 23.

     Despite these losses, Dolley’s life moved on.  She wrote; she worked in commercials – Pillsbury was one of her clients.   Over time, she has become a successful and highly regarded author, fashion commentator, and professional model.  She has had four books published, which constitute her “From the Heart” series.

     But three things are even closer to Dolley’s heart.

     The first is her family.  She met her husband, Tom, at a party for his Air National Guard unit.  Tom was originally from Chicago and now works as a salesman for food packaging.  He eventually admitted to Dolley that it was love at first sight when he met her.   They’ve been married for 36 years, and have two grown daughters - Candy Carlson, who’s a TV producer, and Katie Carlson Rider.  The Riders had Dolley’s first grandchild, Grace, six months ago.  Tom and Dolley enjoy travel, reading, the arts, and theater.

     Dolley’s next love is her inspirational speaking.  She has participated in a large number of women’s ministries, empowering the attendees with her Christian message, as well as her humor and her presence.  She has traveled nationally to many states, and as far afield as Kiev in Ukraine.  Even with the language difference, Dolley has brought her inspirational message there five times.

     Her final love, in what is already a full life, is the novel Dolley is writing.  It’s a family story of three generations, set in the 1940s, primarily in South Boston and on Beacon Hill.  She has schooled herself in an advanced writers’ workshop mentored by Mary Rakow, who is a Harvard undergraduate, a Ph.D. from B.C., and the author of “The Memory Room”.

     The reason Dolley and Tom were visiting Boston in December was to do some research for her novel.  This took her from her elderly godfather, Uncle John, in Pocasset to City Hall to St. Aidan’s in Brookline, where John F. Kennedy was baptized.  In one of those “coincidences-that-aren’t-really-coincidences”, the trip let her take part in the Laboure Tours, and as they say, the rest is history (or tradition).

     In the communications leading up to this article, Dolley stressed her immense gratitude for her South Boston Irish Catholic roots, much of which she received at her mother’s knee.  She requests that anyone who remembers her parents to please get in touch with her.  She would love to reconnect with her roots.  Dolley’s phone is 949-551-5657; her e-mail, dolleyc@aol.com.  If you would like to know more about Dolley’s work, search the Internet under “dolleycarlson”.

     And to repeat:  It’s a lock – Dolley and Tom will be back next year for the 2006 Laboure House Tours to continue their budding tradition.  Tom fondly described the South Bostonians he met, when he said, “These are the nicest people!”