To all the family and friends who knew and loved Caroline:
I have known Caroline for over fifty years. I first met her and Catherine when they were both children. I knew their Dad Jim from IBM and through him met their Mom Rejane. Initially I ended up babysitting the girls a few times. There was an all day outing at a local amusement park. Later there were a couple of long weekends when Jim and Rejane traveled out of town for weekends,
while I held down the fort at their house with the kids and the dogs. There are many things I have fond recollections of. Caroline came and cat sat my kitty during a long business trip I took in the early 1980s. This was shortly after she completed college in Canada. I later took Caroline with me to adopt the first ferret she ever acquired. We attended each other's weddings, only a year apart. I visited her at home in Bowie after Justin and Kyle were first born, trying to be helpful, but not doing very well. There were local mall shopping expeditions, with Caroline toting the two boys, balancing strollers and kids, which was quite an alien experience for me.
We took frequent hikes on the C&O Canal and a couple all day hikes to Old Rag and Robertson mountains in Shenandoah. Over the years we also biked, skied, snowshoed and ran together. The races included 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons and finally full 26 mile marathons. I tried unsuccessfully to convince Caroline she didn't need to run up and down the steps of the hotel where we stayed the night before her first marathon, that indeed 26 miles was plenty.
We attended concerts at Wolftrap and had many memorable dinners together over the years. We had outings to mark celebrations or just because. When my husband and I went out for a farewell dinner with Caroline and Bob in September of 2021, before they took off on their great cross country adventure, I knew I would not see them for a long time. I was so looking forward to reconnecting in person with Caroline after they got back to Virginia, but sadly, that was not to be.
Caroline was a unique and special friend, one whose time on earth was cut way too short. In addition to our friendship, I have her to thank for my friendships with both Marlene Tulga and Gloria Tebyanian. It is a special gift she in essence has left behind, by introducing us so many years ago. I am sad she is gone, but grateful for the wonderful times we had. Thanks, Caroline!