Carolyn Spengler, born November 12, 1941 to Harry Thomas (“Tom”) and Naomi C. (“Noni”) Spengler of So. Charleston, West Virginia, died on August 28, 2023.
She was an amateur entomologist and a proud Girl Scout during her elementary and high school years. After earning her B.A. from Marietta College, she began a career in social work at the welfare office in The Bronx, NY. She went on to earn her M.S. in Education from C.U.N.Y., and became an elementary school teacher in Manhattan, NY, and later in Elizabeth, NJ, with a brief stint in between as a professor of education at NYU, retiring after 48 years.
She loved the beach, the mountains, travel in general, downhill skiing, cooking (and eating) delicious food, fine wine, opera, the theater, live music, and laughing. Most of all, she loved spending quality time with her family, friends, and pets, doing anything or nothing at all. She was known for her beautiful and contagious smile that transmitted joy to all with whom she graced it, and her ability to make 10 new best friends during a walk around the block.
She is survived by an ohana comprised of too many people to list individually. Her closest surviving relatives are her wife, Clay Gish, of The Villages, FL, her daughter, Sara Spengler, of Kona, HI, and two of her three younger brothers: Timothy P. and Jon Spengler, of Columbus, OH, her parents and her younger brother, Tom Spengler, of Arlington, TX, having predeceased her.
A celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held at 11:00am on September 30, 2023 at Unity Spiritual Center, 509 County Road 458, Fruitland Park, FL. The family requests no flowers; instead, please consider making a memorial donation to Reading is Fundamental (https://secure.rif.org/page/51836/donate/1) and/
or Save the Children
(https://tinyurl.com/5b9z87z9).
