Saratoga News

Style

Obituaries

Mildred A. Colson

Mildred A. Colson of Saratoga died Jan. 21 at Saratoga Retirement Community after a long illness. She was 94.

Born April 22, 1912, in Rochester, N.Y., she was the only daughter of Italian immigrant parents and had three siblings. Her father owned a photography studio in Rochester, and she helped develop the pictures and colorize them.

She was a resident of San Jose, Los Gatos and Saratoga since 1973 and worked as a seamstress. She had various jobs working in alteration rooms and department stores and worked for Van Arsdale Fashions, Lee Zabel Dresses, Addie Raymond and Nordstrom in San Jose. Later, she worked out of her home catering to a growing number of customers, who also received a care package of her cookies when they left her house.

Colson made her family her top priority. She served a big Italian dinner every Sunday and also enjoyed cooking holiday dinners for a family that included in-laws and grandchildren. Her Christmas cookies and homemade cannolis were the highlight of their holiday celebration.

In 1995, she had a stroke and began going to the Saratoga Adult Care Center two years later. She was married for 48 years to Nicholas Colson, who died in February 1987. She is survived by her daughter Nancy Robby and her husband Guy of Saratoga; her daughter Gina Maren of Campbell; her son Leonard Colson and his wife Mary of Hartford, Conn.; her son John Colson and his wife Bev of Rochester, N.Y.; seven grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandchildren.

There will be a celebration of her life on Feb. 11, 2:30 p.m., at the Saratoga Adult Care Center, 19655 Allendale Ave. Donations in her memory may be made to the Saratoga Adult Care Center or Hospice of the Valley, 4850 Union Ave., San Jose, CA 95124.