Mary Carroll

Obituary of Mary Ellen Carroll

A cool and calm demeanor veiled Mary Ellen Carroll’s many deep passions. Upon her graduation from the College of New Rochelle with a degree in history, she traveled through Europe for nearly three months before returning to her native Saratoga Springs. After a chance encounter with a high school friend who had taken a job at Mechanicville High School, she applied for a job there and became an English teacher, a position she held, and thoroughly enjoyed, for 10 years. She was a natural. All business on the job, she expected, and extracted, the best from her students. In the classroom she fell upon occasional disinterest and daydreaming in the manner a hawk grabs the attention of a rabbit, a startling experience that her students, 40 years later, vividly recall. They also recall the weekend ski outings and her profound ability to connect with her students. Their gratitude led to the ultimate reward for a teacher – an invitation to her students’ high school reunion. She also proudly served on the library board of directors in Greenwich, where she raised her family. Her desire to educate was not limited to books or the classroom. She raised three children, all of whom became successful, all of whom benefited from her intellectually challenging nature and her appreciation of all things concerning life. One example stands out: Fervently devout, a late-arrival for services was seldom excused, but once, en route to mass with her family, she spotted a squirrel carrying, one by one, her babies back up a tree to safety. Never one to pass up a teaching opportunity, she made sure her children watched and learned the lessons provided by that experience. Traveling and education, as well as golf and Notre Dame football, and a day at the races, were among her passions, but family mattered most. The daughter of Dr. Joseph and Kay Kiley, she was in kindergarten when she first met the love of her life, classmate Bill Carroll. It was a long-ripening romance. They didn’t date in high school, but after earning their degrees they renewed acquaintances, and their courtship led to Bill’s proposal. Years later they joked that Mary Ellen, stunned, went home, never having replied to his initial proposal. Five years later, they married. Their union produced John, Anne and Jim, each successful in their chosen fields: John locally in the health-care field, Anne in Hollywood, Calif., in the entertainment business and Jim as an emergency physician in Springfield, Mass. Mary Ellen passed Tuesday night at 79, days after the first anniversary of her son John’s passing. She was also predeceased by her three brothers: Joe, Mike and Roger. She is survived by her husband Bill, her children Anne and Jim, her daughters in law, Tracey and Julie, and her five grandchildren: Jim and Tracey’s children Spencer John, Tristan William, Porter James and Carter Patrick, and John and Julie’s daughter Anna Elise. A wake will be held Friday, from 3-6 pm, at Flynn Brothers Funeral Home in Greenwich and funeral services will be Saturday at 1 pm in St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, also in Greenwich. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to: Greenwich Interfaith Fellowship, P.O. Box 124, Greenwich, NY 12834; or Easton-Greenwich Rescue Squad, 441 State Route 29, Greenwich, NY 12834. Online condolences and messages to the family may be made at www.flynnbrosinc.com
Saturday
14
January

Mass of Christian Burial

Saturday, January 14, 2017
St. Joseph's Church
36 Bleeker St
Greenwich, New York, United States
Saturday
14
January

Interment at: St. Peter's Cemetery

Saturday, January 14, 2017
St. Peter's Cemetery
West Ave.
Saratoga Springs, New York, United States
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