Colleen Solan

Colleen Mary Solan, December 7, 1955 – June 8, 2024 of Walpole, MA, passed away peacefully at home on June 8, 2024, at the age of 68, due to complications from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
She was predeceased by her parents, John and Laura Jeanette (King) Solan. She is survived by her loving husband of 42 ½ years Randy Ottman, daughter Emily Ottman, and son and daughter-in-law Andrew Ottman and Sarah Hartman. She is also survived by her brother and sister-in-law John and Denise Solan, nieces Chelsea (Matthias Kappler) Solan and Chloe Solan, as well as her husband’s sisters Karen (Bill) Tomic and Janet Ottman, nieces Elizabeth Tomic and Alice (John) Kiereck, and grand-niece Emma Kiereck.
Colleen was born in Johnson City, NY and grew up in Endwell, NY. She attended LeMoyne College (Class of 1978) with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and University at Albany, SUNY (Class of 1980) with an MBA in Information Systems. She had a fulfilling career in healthcare information systems management, including at Arthur Young & Co. and Goddard/ Dedham Medical Associates, where she made lifelong friends.
She married Randy Ottman in 1981 and settled in the Boston area where they raised two children, Emily and Andrew. Colleen was an amazing, kind, gracious, and patient mother and wife; she was endlessly proud of her family and provided them with unconditional love and support.
Colleen truly enjoyed her life and had many passions. She had a great sense of humor and was known for her beautiful, melodic laugh. She loved being by the water, including walking the Marginal Way in Ogunquit, ME and 30+ years of annual family trips to Cape Cod with her husband, children, and extended family. She was an avid knitter, regularly gifting her loved ones handmade socks, hats, and scarves, and quilter, having made over 150 quilts, many of which she donated to charities. Each year, she looked forward to gardening in the spring, and had learned a love of flowers and nature from her father. She was interested in genealogy and maintained a family tree database, collected and shared family memories, and connected family members online.
Upon retirement, she expanded her commitment to giving back to others by taking volunteer positions with the Lakota Friends Circle and at several pre-schools, including Head Start. She and her husband loved traveling together and with family and friends, including trips to several National Parks, Colorado, Aruba, Dominican Republic, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary.
In April 2023, Colleen was diagnosed with ALS. Despite the enormous challenges that came with the disease progression, she navigated it with grace, courage, and gratitude for the life she had. In her final year, she received unwavering dedication and care from her husband and children, found support through connection with family and friends, and, as a devoted Catholic, felt peace through God, reading scripture, and praying for others who were suffering.
The family would like to thank the dedicated team members at MGH Healy Center for ALS, CCALS, Old Colony Hospice, Bayada Home Health-Braintree, BID-Needham, and UMASS Memorial Health for their kindness and care for Colleen during her illness.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Colleen’s name to Lakota Friends Circle (https://www.lakotafriendscircle.org/) or Father Bill’s & MainSpring - Nobody Should Be Homeless (https://helpfbms.org/), two organizations to which Colleen was very dedicated.

Services will be private.

Tributes, memories, or photos can be shared with the family at [email protected]