Carol Eckert Chauncey

Carol (Ann) Eckert Chauncey, long-time resident of Walpole, MA passed away on January 1, 2023, at NewBridge on the Charles in Dedham, MA at the age of 86 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Beloved wife of William E. Chauncey for 63 years. Devoted mother and cherished grandmother to five children and six grandchildren: Stephen E. Chauncey, his wife Rhonda, of North Chelmsford, MA and her daughters Brittany Allison and Brianna Allison; Beth Chauncey Hølleland, her husband Torstein, and their children Erik and Martina of Bergen, Norway; Bruce R. Chauncey, his wife Kelly, and their daughters, Paige and Piper, of Southborough, MA; Laura Chauncey Westmoreland, her husband, Craig, and their children, Brooke and Luke, of Walpole, MA; and, Benjamin W. Chauncey of Brooklyn, NY. Beloved sister of Marilyn E. Winters and her husband Albert, of Marion, MA. Treasured sister-in-law and aunt to many nieces and nephews. Carol is also survived by her extended family from the Memory Support, Southwest 1 Unit at NewBridge on the Charles, who lovingly cared for her these last 7 and a half years.

Carol was born in Buffalo, New York to Arthur G. and Grace M. Eckert and was the older sister of Marilyn. Carol’s father retired as a Brigadier General in the U.S. Army. During WWII, he was stationed in Hawaii helping run the Kilauea Military Camp. Carol would recount how difficult it was to have her father leave when she was starting Kindergarten and then not see him again until she was in the 2^nd grade. She treasured the letters they sent to one another during these years. During this time, Carol’s mother, Grace, took the girls to Alabama to live near Arthur’s brother, Elmer (who was also serving), his wife, Alma, and their son Bob. Grace and the girls later returned to Hamburg, NY and were reunited with her father when he returned. Carol was a “Daddy’s Girl” – he spoiled his daughters with pints of ice cream and lovingly teased them with his quick-witted humor.

As a young girl, Carol enjoyed reading The Bobbsey Twins, taking piano lessons, knitting, playing on the hillside near her house, going to see “Eddie the Chimpanzee” at the Buffalo Zoo, participating in Campfire Girls, and visiting with her grandparents who lived nearby. In 2^nd grade, Carol met her lifelong friend, Alice (Lockwood) Say.

Carol graduated from Hamburg Central High School and received her B.S. in Home Economics Education from the State University of New York Teachers College at Plattsburgh. It was while she was a student at SUNY Plattsburgh that she met her husband, Bill, who was stationed in Plattsburgh, serving in the U.S. Air Force. They were introduced by Bill’s dear friend and college roommate, George MacDonald. After graduation, she taught at Shaker Junior and Senior High School in Loudonville, NY.

Carol and Bill were married in July 1959 and they moved to West Roxbury, MA, where Bill accepted a teaching position at The Roxbury Latin School and Carol taught for one year at the William H. Lincoln School in Brookline, MA.

Carol was a loving and devoted mother. She and Bill welcomed five children over 14 years. The first three, Stephen, Beth and Bruce were born within their first five years of marriage. The younger two, Laura and Ben, came along many years later. She often referred to the younger two as her “bonuses”. Carol loved babies. Really, REALLY LOVED babies. She found it impossible to see a baby and not stop to coo and smile. Luckily, there were more babies on the way, with six grandchildren born across 21 years. She took tremendous pride and joy in her watching her grandchildren grow – celebrating their milestones and accomplishments whether they were big or small.

Carol and Bill settled in Walpole, MA where they spent 50+ years raising their family, developing strong friendships and supporting their community. Carol leveraged her talent, creativity, and love for children to give back. She led Campfire Girls groups for both of her daughters; she volunteered to sew costumes for school plays; and she drove her own children and others’ children to various activities.

One of the great highlights of her life was when she and Bill took the family abroad to Oxford, England for one year (1976-77). She would often speak nostalgically of the family experiences over that year, including Queen Elizabeth II’s Silver Jubilee celebrations; adventures through Scotland and Wales by caravan; and, a hovercraft voyage to France to see Marilyn and her family who were also living abroad at the time. During that year, Carol made many close friends whom she stayed in contact with throughout her life.

When the eldest children were young, Carol took on a pilot project through the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission teaching homemaking to patients at Foxboro State Hospital. Over the years she also played a key supporting role in her husband’s career at The Roxbury Latin School. She helped with administrative work, hosted and organized events, knit countless “RL” sweaters for faculty babies, and was a regular attendee of the Varsity Baseball games. When the younger children were a bit older, Carol returned to the work force and spent 12 years as an Administrative Assistant to the Dean for Academic Affairs at Mt. Ida College in Newton, MA. She greatly enjoyed her time there and counted her colleagues among her friends.

Carol had many talents and interests, including a love for books and learning. She was never without a project – knitting, embroidery, quilling, quilting, drawing, sewing – crafting treasured baby clothes, home décor; and, the most precious of all, Christmas stockings and ornaments for her children, in-laws and grandchildren.

Carol enjoyed baking - especially at the holidays. Her children often came home from school to the smell of fresh baked bread or sweet treats. There were many baking traditions in the Chauncey home – hot cross buns for Easter, special birthday cakes (always a special snowman-shaped cake for Bruce), delicious pies for Thanksgiving, Stollen, fruit cake and several favorite varieties of cookies for Christmas.

Travel was a passion for Carol and Bill. In addition to the year in Oxford, they made many other trips to: the U.K, Norway to see their daughter and her family, Ireland, France, Italy, a European River Cruise, Canada and many locations throughout the U.S. The coastal village of Prospect Harbor, Maine was a cherished spot where they spent many happy times during the summer.

In 2013, Carol and Bill made the tough decision to sell their home in Walpole and move to an apartment at Fox Hill Village in Westwood, MA. Sadly, their years of living together would end one year later, when Carol was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and experienced a tremendous decline both cognitively and physically – more than Bill could manage on his own. She moved briefly to Wingate in Needham, in the fall of 2014. She then moved in May 2015 to NewBridge on the Charles Memory Support LTC when she was wheelchair bound after a bad fall. At NewBridge, Carol was cared for by an incredibly compassionate and patient team of caregivers – most of whom were with her from the beginning to the end. In 2021, Bill moved to NewBridge on the Charles as well (although a different area), which made the ability for Bill and Carol to see one another much easier.

Prior to her illness, Carol was a very active member at the United Church in Walpole, where she and Bill forged many friendships within the congregation. She would craft ornaments and volunteer for the Holly Berry Fair, she and Bill enjoyed evenings with the Pampered Palates group, and she enjoyed participating in a book club. These dear friends and Pastor Anna Flowers, have held Carol and Bill up, particularly over these last several difficult years.

Carol passed away peacefully after a valiant battle with Alzheimer’s with Bill, their children and grandchildren by her side.

Visiting Hours will be held on Sunday, January 8, 2023, from 2-5 pm at James H. Delaney and Son Funeral Home, 48 Common Street, Walpole, MA. https://www.delaneyfuneral.com/ A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Monday, January 9, 2023, at 10 am at the Union Congregational Church, 55 Rhoades Ave, East Walpole, MA 02032. Burial will be private at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carol’s memory to: the Alzheimer’s Association https://www.alz.org/manh; the United Church in Walpole https://www.unitedwalpole.org/; or, the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center at NewBridge on the Charles https://www.hebrewseniorlife.org/giving.