Wells River, VT – Keita Colton, 78, died Saturday, June 6, 2026, at home in Wells River.
She was born January 9, 1948, in Philadelphia, PA, the daughter of Ralph L and Keith (Grosvenor) Colton. Keita grew up on a farm in Bucks County, PA before studying fine arts at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY. She worked as a commercial artist in New York for several years before moving to Shelburne Falls in the Massachusetts Berkshires where she renovated a barn silo into a home. Keita moved to Lyme, NH after her marriage to Don Metz. Following their divorce she renovated an 1800’s Federal style home in Haverhill Center and ran the Gibson House Inn as a bed & breakfast for years. Most recently she has lived in Wells River, VT where she designed and built a round house on the Connecticut River. Keita enjoyed meeting the company of new guests at the Inn, so she began operating an Air B&B at her home in Wells River, receiving rave reviews for her gardening and cooking.
Keita was a passionate cat lover, sharing the company of many cats throughout the years. She was a talented artist who created many beautiful paintings including a wall mural at the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth. Keita continued to paint until a genetic disorder, Benign Essential Tremors, limited her ability to paint for the past 10 years.
She is survived by her brothers Ralph Colton III (Debra) of Jacksonville, FL and Kendall Colton of North Thetford, VT; stepmother Christiane D. Colton of Lansdale, PA, as well as several close friends.
A green burial interment took place in the Pleasant Ridge Cemetery in North Thetford, the first such burial in the cemetery.
Knight Funeral Home in White River Jct. is honored to be entrusted with her arrangements.
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