Dr. Harold Floyd Bolton, 73, passed away in the early hours of Monday, November 21, 2022 at Ascension Seton in Round Rock, Texas.

Harold was born October 24, 1949 to Dr. Warren Floyd Bolton and Genevieve Kirstine (Toppenberg) in La Grande, Oregon. He grew up in Oregon and California with his two older sisters, Lenora and Karen, and his younger brother Edward. It was during this time that he developed a love of music, the outdoors, and learning.

Harold graduated high school from the Monterey Bay Academy. He attended both Pacific Union College and University of California at Berkeley. The Bay Area was experiencing a culture and music revolution at this time and Harold became more a student of life than of university.

While living in the Bay Area, Harold joined a friend on a trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was there that he met Helen Mary (Moran), the love of his life. Harold recently said that he couldn’t imagine two people who were a better fit for one another than the two of them. Harold and Helen married in April of 1976 before moving to Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

Harold was a skilled carpenter and woodworker. In addition to his work on buildings, he also made furniture and decorative pieces. As handy as Harold was with construction, he wanted to put his skillset to work in different ways. He took a test that opened doors to scholarship opportunities at the University of Arkansas where he earned a double bachelors degree in mathematics and physics.

Harold’s brother, Edward, encouraged him to apply to graduate school where he had the choice between Yale University, University of Hawaii, and University of California at San Diego to pursue his doctorate degree. Harold ultimately chose Scripps Institute of Oceanography at UC San Diego where he earned his PhD in Geophysics with an emphasis in Seismology.

After earning his PhD, Harold and Helen moved to Tijeras, New Mexico where he worked as a contractor at the Albuquerque Seismological Laboratory. His contract job led to a government job with the US Geological Survey, a bureau within the US Department of the Interior. Harold was then transferred to the National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado.

Harold and Helen moved to Taylor, Texas in 2013, after his retirement from the US Geological Survey. The move to Taylor brought them closer to two of their children and their grandchildren. Harold enjoyed watching his grandchildren, Jake and Avery, grow up and attending games and dance performances. He was very proud of both Jake and Avery and their decisions to attend the University of Arkansas.

Harold had a generous heart and a sharp sense of humor. He had a special way of making others laugh and letting them know they were deeply cared for. Harold wanted a world that was better for future generations and for our furry friends. He would donate to causes that he believed to support this desire - including organizations like Shadow Cats, the Taylor Animal Shelter, and others. He and Helen also volunteered with Meals on Wheels, providing an essential service and connection with homebound seniors.

Harold had many interests: beekeeping, foraging for mushrooms, watching the Dodgers, coding and much more. Harold was an excellent chef and would experiment with Julia Child recipes; a family favorite was a beef stew that became a Christmas tradition. Harold also baked bread; there was nothing quite as delicious as a freshly baked loaf with honey from the hive. Harold was a snooker aficionado. He first learned the game when he moved to Siloam Springs and the house he lived in came with a snooker table. He finally recreated his snooker room, with the same snooker table, at his house in Taylor. It brought him great joy to see family and friends learning and enjoying a sport that he loved.

Harold had a love for music and saw music as a way to connect with others. He played several instruments during his life: saxophone, piano, and guitar. It was not unusual to hear him tinkering with the piano playing a Scott Joplin rag. Harold had an eclectic taste in music, but it was the Grateful Dead that was his favorite. He saw countless shows over the years and shared his love of the music with family and friends. As the rain fell on his final days a quote that kept coming to mind was “a box of rain will ease the pain, and love will see you through.”

Harold is survived by his wife of 46 years, Helen Mary; daughters, Clover Bolton and Dominy (Tim) Edwards; son, Christopher (Laura) Burkhart; grandchildren, Jake and Avery Burkhart; sisters, Lenora Follett and Karen Bolton; and brother, Edward (Agnes) Bolton.

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