Hoyt-Fowler dies at 55
School loses its voice, husband misses literary love



VOORHEESVILLE – Molly Hoyt-Fowler’s English accent was well known around the community.

Her smile was genuine, her frame petite, and her personality was bubbly.

Hoyt-Fowler worked for nearly 11 years as a secretary in the main office at the Clayton A. Bouton High School in Voorheesville, and was planning on retiring in September.

She died unexpectedly on May 10, 2007. She was 55.
"Molly was a unique person," said her husband of 27 years, Russ Fowler. "She believed in speaking the King’s English," he said. She loved language, and she understood the meaning behind words, he said.
"I never understood why she didn’t get a job as a translator for the United Nations," Fowler said, adding that she was fluent in several languages.
Fowler said that people would often inquire as to where she got her English accent. "Who knows where she got the accent from; she grew up in New Jersey," he said with a laugh.
"Molly enjoyed using the British phraseology," said high-school Principal Mark Diefendorf. For example, he said, she would refer to the elevator as "the lift."

Diefendorf knew Hoyt-Fowler for the extent of her time with the district. He met her when he was teaching economics, before he became principal.
"She was a nice lady," Diefendorf said, "a person I depended on."
She was "very opinionated, but very respectful," Diefendorf said. The two would frequently talk about their favorite movies, and both were fond of going to the Spectrum Theater, in Albany. He remembered their discussion on the movie, The Queen, in which Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth. "She loved it," he said, adding how much she enjoyed talking about the British monarchy.
Hoyt-Fowler’s death shocked everyone, Diefendorf said. The irony, he said, was her upcoming retirement. "You hope that people get enough quality time" in their lives, Diefendorf said. "Molly had told me that she and her husband had bought a boat," he remembered.
"You personalize it," he said of her death. "She had all these great plans, and she didn’t get to follow through with them.
"It was a sad time for all of us," he said.
"We are planning on doing something in her memory," Diefendorf said. "She was a very literate woman," he said. A bench with an engraved plaque would be a fitting tribute for her, Diefendorf said, adding that the district will probably also plant a tree and donate to the local food pantry in her honor.
"The parents and students were affected by her and affected by her loss," Diefendorf said.
At last Monday’s board of education meeting, Superintendent Linda Langevin, in a trembling voice, formally recognized Hoyt-Fowler’s work with the district. "Molly J. Hoyt-Fowler passed away unexpectedly last month, just before her retirement," Langevin said. "Our sympathy goes to her and her family."

Following Hoyt-Fowler’s death, Langevin said, the district’s flag flew at half-staff for a week to honor her.
Hoyt-Fowler was a hard worker, and she was very detail-oriented, she said. "She was always positive and bubbly.
"It was a loss without any closure, and very difficult for us," Langevin said.

Russ Fowler met his wife at the Eastchester Public Library in Westchester County, he told The Enterprise. They were both employed there.

The couple moved to Delmar in 1990, he said.
His wife was a selfless, interesting, and fun person, Fowler said. "Molly was always willing to pitch in and do what needed to be done."
They had no children, but Sasha – a collie "just like Lassie" – and Puff – a cat they picked up from the Menands shelter – were like children, Fowler said. "We all sort of tried to co-exist here peacefully," he said.
Fowler said that he recently gave Sasha to a family who had just lost a pet. "She was too much for me to take care of," he said. He misses her, though, and will visit her "when I’m sure she’s settled in," he said. "Now all I do is get glared at by Puff," he added.
Fowler said that his wife "loved New York City." He remembers taking her there to see the Rolling Stones at Madison Square Garden. "She always wanted to see the Stones," he said.
"When Mick Jagger came out on stage, the whole crowd was cheering as one," he remembered fondly. He and his wife stayed that night at the Pennsylvania Hotel, he said.
Fowler said he misses his wife tremendously. "I miss the person who I spent 27 years sleeping next to," he concluded.