Roz Coleman Remembered As Compassionate Problem Solver

CHATHAM – Blessed with a creative mind, the instinct to lead, and tenderhearted compassion, Dr. Roslyn “Roz” Coleman is being remembered for her many contributions to her adopted hometown of Chatham. Dr. Coleman died last month at the age of 90 following a period of decline.

 An accomplished school psychologist for many years, Dr. Coleman and her late husband, The Rev. Dr. William Coleman, bought a home in Chatham in 1966 and moved here full-time in 1997. At the time, she recognized a crisis that was happening in her new hometown, manifested in a spate of suicides among Chatham High School teens.

 “Roz was an educated woman. She was always drawn to helping people,” friend Frank Messina said. Dr. Coleman decided that a key problem was that local teens lacked productive things to do, and so became isolated and involved with drugs and alcohol. “It was about finding something to occupy them, and if you’re doing something, you need a place to do it,” Messina said.

Dr. Coleman organized a series of meetings at the Methodist Church to think about solutions to the problem. Among those who attended were Lewis Masson, a ham radio operator who had worked for many years at the RCA-Marconi station, and John Dickson, who had launched a small community boating program that was operating from a shed at Jackknife Beach. From her new seat on the Chatham Finance Committee, Dr. Coleman had a vantage point from which to learn about many of Chatham’s moving parts. The committee had recently toured the town-owned Marconi campus.

 “Mom would drive by the derelict Marconi buildings nearly every day,” said daughter Allison Coleman. Dr. Coleman researched the site and learned that much of the original radio equipment had been salvaged in hopes that it might someday be returned to the site. “Then one thing led to another, and she galvanized a whole group of intrepid volunteers to convince the town to not allow the buildings to deteriorate,” Allison said. While the town stabilized the buildings, the group that would become the Chatham Marconi Maritime Center became a registered nonprofit and secured a lease from the town to use the property.

 “They raised money to restore the interior of the buildings and developed the initial museum programs, which always included engagement with science and STEM education for young people.” Part of the vision was that the campus could also be used for Dickson’s fledgling sailing program. While that idea didn’t pan out, Dr. Coleman encouraged Dickson to expand his program and create Pleasant Bay Community Boating.

 “The idea to try to buy the McClennen property for PBCB was dreamed up in my parents’ living room,” Allison said. Her father was board president at the time, and Dr. Coleman was another board member, helping to make the purchase a reality. “She was deeply involved in the founding and early years of PBCB, contributing myriad ideas and a lot of sweat equity to establish this important community asset for the benefit of so many kids and adults in this area,” said her daughter. 

 Driven by compassion, Dr. Coleman was a skilled problem solver. Finance Committee Chair Stephen Daniel said Dr. Coleman was a gracious and engaged colleague.

 “She cared deeply about the town of Chatham and, especially, about education, almost anything that touched on children, and housing,” he said. A creative thinker, she often brought thoughtful ideas and comments for the committee to consider. “She was passionate about the issues of concern to her, but never pushy in presenting her thoughts and views to her colleagues,” Daniel said. While she could be soft-spoken at times, “one would mistake that for a lack of passion at their own peril,” he said.

 Armed with charm and logic, Dr. Coleman was a formidable motivator, Messina added.

 “She wouldn’t take no for an answer,” he said. She had “an infectious enthusiasm to do things, to make things happen.” Her persistence in raising support for CMMC, including five votes at town meeting, showed her tenacity, Messina said. “She just kept going. She wouldn’t give up.”

 Allison Coleman said her mother had not only perseverance, but the ability to think outside the box. “She had an amazing creative ability to take disparate ideas and/or needs and mash them together in ways that got other people excited about them,” she said. “People followed her because it was pretty clear she was an unstoppable force.” Her mother would probably want to be remembered as a person who tackled real problems with creative solutions, Allison said.

 Her dedication to the community is clear, Daniel noted. Her service on the finance committee was at least 18 years, one of the longest tenures in the town’s history.

 “That is a remarkable record of engagement and dedication, and is perfectly reflective of the depth of her commitment to, and passion for, the town of Chatham,” he said.

 “She was a dear friend and a strong person,” Messina said. “Anything in the community that was for people or for individuals, that was Roz — she and Bill. They were a dynamic duo. It was a pleasure knowing them both.”