Deborah Cummins

PORTLAND – Deborah (Bolda) Cummins, daughter of Joe and Leona Bolda, was born and raised in Chicago, Ill. and was imbued with the very best traits of a true Midwesterner. Deborah was openhearted and openminded with a generosity of spirit that embraced family, friends and often, total strangers. She had an incomparable work ethic, and the ability to inspire the same in others.

Though she looked like an angel, Deborah was fierce – she loved fiercely, fought fiercely for social justice, was a fierce advocate for the arts and was fiercely protective of the people she loved most – her husband, Bob, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is also survived by her beloved sister and best friend, Christina and her husband John and their son, Michael, as well as a wide and devoted circle of friends.

Deborah was a natural leader with the organizational skills of a battle- hardened general. Whether it was arranging every detail of their large family’s reunion or keeping an impatient gaggle of board members on task, Deborah knew how to get things done – by sheer dint of her prodigious will if necessary.

From 2001-2005 Deborah served as board chair of the Poetry Foundation as it transitioned in the national spotlight from a small non-profit to an operating foundation following the multi-million bequest from the late Ruth Lilly. She went on to serve for six years as the board president of Maine Writers & Publishers Alliance.

An award-winning writer, Deborah was the author of three poetry collections, “Counting the Waves”, “Beyond the Reach”, and “Until They Catch Fire” as well as a collection of personal essays, “Here and Away: Discovering Home on an Island in Maine”.

Her awards included a James Michener Fellowship and the 2013 and 2012 Maine Literary Award for Short Works in Nonfiction. She was also the recipient of artist residencies at Yaddo, MacDowell Colony, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. In 2007 she was named Visiting Artist at the American Academy in Rome.

Deborah earned her MFA in Creative Writing at the University of Houston. As a graduate student, she was a Writer-in-Residence at the Menil Art Collection. She taught at the University of Chicago and the Center for Talent Development at Northwestern University. She was a faculty member of the Down East Writers’ Conference in Deer Isle and curated poetry events for Opera House Arts in Stonington.

Both Deborah and Bob shared a passion for travel having visited all seven continents. Together they aided in anti-poaching efforts in South Africa, took in the art and culture of San Miguel de Allende, floated among Antarctic icebergs, photographed wildlife in the Galapagos, marveled at the Northern Lights in Greenland and explored the beauty of the Douro Valley in Portugal. As much as they loved the adventure of their travels, the stories Deborah returned with always centered around the people she met along the way. Her interest in the lives of others not only informed her writing but also her way of living in the world.

In 2014 Deborah and Bob left Chicago, Ill. to make Maine their full-time home, splitting their time between Portland and Deer Isle, which Deborah called her “belonging place.” In Deer Isle, Deborah spent hours in her tiny “writing shed” nestled in the woods with distant ocean views, always grateful for the extraordinary life she lived.

A gathering will be held at the Conroy-Tully Walker South Portland Chapel, 1024 Broadway, South Portland, on Saturday, Sept. 9 from 1-2 p.m. with a Memorial Service taking place at 2 p.m. To view Deborah’s memorial page, or to share an online condolence, please visit http://www.ConroyTullyWalker.com.