Obituary of Carol Ann Kent
Carol Ann Kent
Beloved Wife, Mother, Aunt and Friend
Carol Ann Kent, of West Caldwell, New Jersey, peacefully passed away on Tuesday, March 24, 2020 after a long illness.
Born in Glen Ridge, New Jersey in 1942 to David Leroy and Dorothy (Eggler) Peterson, Carol was a lifelong resident of West Caldwell.
Following graduation from Centenary College in Hackettstown and the Newark School for Fine and Industrial Art, Carol began a career as a commercial artist.
She met the love of her life, Sam and they married in 1967. They were inseparable and since Sam was a dedicated Rotarian, she was right there alongside him at most of the Rotary functions - the golf outings at Knoll Country Club, Casino Nights, Wild West Circus in Pine Brook, the holiday parties and of course the Caldwell Street Fair from its inception.
Due to her extraordinary support, The Rotary Club of the Caldwells awarded Carol the Paul Harris Recognition Award in 2019.
When their son Matt was born, she devoted herself fulltime to motherhood. Once he was grown, Carol began teaching literacy and then joined Smull Treasures, a consignment shop in Caldwell. After that closed, she was instrumental in the founding of its successor shop, Willing Hearts and its introduction to the Rotary Club of the Caldwells in the late 1990's. Carol continued to volunteer weekly at Willing Hearts until 2015.
Carol had many friends and appreciated spending time with them. She enjoyed traveling to see her sister as well as summer trips to Maine, the Jersey Shore and especially Vermont. She hosted many family holidays and everyone loved to attend. She loved her cats, enjoyed watching birds and was a kind gentle soul to all.
When her granddaughter Star was born, she became the joy of Carol’s life. They spent a great deal of precious time together over the years and Star was her constant bright spot as she became ill.
Carol is survived by her beloved husband of 52 years, Samuel Mathew Kent; cherished son, Matthew David Kent and his wife, Sara; devoted granddaughter, Star Magick Kent-Finnegan; loving sister, Janet Guenther and her husband, Otto; caring sister in law, Dolores Russomano and her husband Jim; adored nieces, Kelly Carey (Tom), Tracey Ritch (Rob), Debbie Heard (Kennon) and their children; a host of friends and neighbors throughout the Caldwells and her most devoted friend, Arline Oberst.
When it is safe to for us all to gather, we will schedule a Celebration of Carol's Life and cherish her legacy. Meanwhile please keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.
Please consider these charities is memory of Carol's years of volunteering:
- Montclair Township Animal Shelter
https://www.fomtasnj.org/?fbclid=IwAR2n4RdcJ615iI-nukRdJkRQsk86VXPPLtouXgY-U18y6FkVrlMCrSm3HFw
- Literacy New Jersey
- West Essex First Aid Squad