Carol Arnould, 76, died peacefully on October 25 in her Marblehead home after a long battle with Alzheimer’s disease. She is remembered adoringly by the hundreds of Marblehead students she educated, her wife and teaching partner, Ann Worrick, her children Matt Arnould, Meg and Beth Worrick, her daughter-in-law Leslie Fox Arnould, and her grandchildren Freddy, Beckett, and Beatrice Arnould.
An afternoon “high tea” celebration of her life will be held at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem on November 19 from 1:30-4:40 p.m. RSVP appreciated at Carol Arnould’s Celebration of Life or marnould@gmail.com. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Carol’s loving memory to an education fund established for her daughters: Education Fund in Loving Memory of Carol Arnould (GoFundMe).
Carol is gone now, and we are poorer for the loss and richer for having known her. She was the real deal: an educator, artist, innovator, friend, entrepreneur, gardener, traveler, dancer, fierce protector, wife, grandmother and mother (both literally, and also figuratively) to hundreds of children. Also, she collected antique whirligigs. She was someone worth getting to know, and well. Carol often recounted that she entered adulthood committed to “saving the world” — a dream that she later amended, for the sake of practicality, to “saving the children,” and, later finally, to “saving her children.” For the generations of students who remember and love her, she succeeded.
No flowers, please. Carol abhorred a fuss. If you would like to support her daughters’ education, please do so, with the whole family’s humble thanks, by making a donation in Carol’s loving memory to the education fund established for her daughters. What would have made her happiest is for you to call on a friend, a loved one, a mentor, have a cuppa something (she preferred black tea), jump from topic to topic and reflect on the surreal swiftness of “this journey we all take.” And, please join us on November 19 at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem for a casual, joyful, and, indeed, charming celebration of her life. All are welcome. We look forward to hearing your stories, sharing your laughter and toasting a life of courage, curiosity, generosity of spirit and unflinching love. Arrangements are under the direction of the Murphy Funeral Home, 85 Federal St., Salem. For additional information or online guest book please call 978-744-0497 or visit MurphyFuneralHome.com.
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist who has written hundreds of stories for local newspapers, including the Marblehead Reporter.