Carole A. West

Carole Ann West (née Butler), of Allendale, NJ, passed away at age 88 on August 1, 2025. Carole was predeceased by her son, Larry, in 1989. Carole was the loving wife of Charles West, beloved mother of Linda West, and doting, beloved grandmother of David West, as well as a loving sister to Susan Angus. She also leaves behind her loyal feline companion, Jimmy.

Carole was born in Brooklyn, New York, and later moved to Queens. She eventually made her way to Bergen County, New Jersey. Carole received a B.A. in education from Fairleigh Dickinson University and taught primary school for many years. Several years after she met and married Charles, they moved to Somerset County, NJ, where she continued to raise her two children. She returned to Rutgers University to earn her Masters in Social Work when she was 37, and became a school social worker.Carole's career took her down many pathways, but what they all had in common was service to others.

In 1973 Carole established and was the executive director of the Somerset County branch of The Voluntary Action Center, a Washington D.C. non-profit agency that matched volunteers with agencies in need of assistance. Her venture was featured in an article in The New York Times.  In the mid-70s through the early 80s, Carole worked for the Arc of Somerset implementing the young agency's development and fundraising efforts. In the late 1980s, Carole founded First Step Preschool in Bridgewater, NJ, which to this day is still an operating early education center, under a different name.

Carole had many interests and hobbies. She got her children their first cat when they were young, and Carole quickly became a 'cat person'. Over the years she has shared her home with 11 felines, and for several years, five at one time. She loved animals and nature dearly.

Carole was an avid sailor and enjoyed many days on the water while living in Annapolis, Maryland and Milford, Connecticut when her children were grown. Carole also became a keen birdwatcher, a hobby she enjoyed for many decades with Charles. Carole was full of wanderlust and had many wonderful vacations, including a bike tour in France, several ocean cruises and river cruises through Europe, and being first mate to her captain-husband while chartering a 45' cruising sailboat in the Greek Islands. Stateside, Carole enjoyed many birding excursions to Arizona, Texas, and Florida. Carole also enjoyed playing bridge her whole life, and was still an active player upon her passing.

Carole was regarded as warm, thoughtful, good-hearted and loving to her friends and family. She strongly believed that one never knows what people are going through at any given time, so she graciously had kind words and a gentle demeanor for the people she interacted with each day. Carole will be missed greatly.

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