Obituary of Carol Cartelli- Woods

Born on September 23, 1936 to Lucy and Nicholas Marino, Carol was a Bronx girl who grew from tomboy to fashion model while attending the School of Needle Trades (aka FIT) as student honing her talents in Fashion Design. Carol was a typical 1950s teenager just doing what she loved; she had a great older brother Donald, a wonderful family and many friends. She and her family left the Bronx for Whitestone while Carol was in high school, but you could never take the Bronx out of the girl regardless of where she lived. Carol met the love of her life Louis at a party hosted by a high school classmate. That meeting marked the beginning of annual Christmas cards from Louis and, after his enlistment into the US Army, regular letters between them. At that time, Carol just thought of this young man as a nice guy who needed to hear from someone at home while serving in the military. After all, he was just someone she met once at a Christmas party in Queens. After his discharge, Louis called wanting to see Carol once since they had corresponded for so long. A date was set, “just for coffee.” Timing is everything; at this, their second meeting about five years after their first, the two found a connection that was immediate and undeniable. Louis proposed two months after that cup of coffee, and Carol said yes. Carol and Louis shared an amazing 25 years together. They created a wonderful family welcoming each of their daughters into the world with love. Working side by side, they built a life and established a business; but it was Carol who created their home. The Cartelli home welcomed so many, always with an open door and always with kind open arms. Carol applied her love of beauty to every aspect of her life. She loved designing clothes creating for herself, her daughters and even for friends. She enjoyed interior design and decorated their family home, attending to every detail, creating beautiful and harmonious living spaces. She always pulled off the perfect holiday, business or social gathering, putting her all into preparing luscious spreads of food and drink, always presented as if from the center of a foodie magazine. Carol opened her home and heart to the neighborhood and would gather friends to share in holidays and barbeques; she would bring the kids together to bake cookies, share a meal or just a talk. Carol made her home one where everyone felt welcome and safe and warm. Life took an unexpected turn for Carol in early 1981 when her love, Louis, died suddenly. Carol was devastated, but, as she looked at her daughters Mary, 21, and Lois, who was only 17, Carol knew she had no choice but to take a breath and move forward to make a life for her girls. Stepping back into the business she helped Louis launch over 20 years earlier, Carol worked to support her family, and she did it well. Knowing that electronics wasn’t exactly what she loved, a few years later Carol sold the business to pursue a career more suited to her passions. After running a few retail businesses, Carol found her niche in esthetics, establishing herself as a respected and very talented esthetician in Port Washington. Carol was doing something she loved, and she worked to make each person she treated look and feel their personal best. Carol truly enjoyed caring for her clients; over time, many became good friends. Through changes in life, love, loss, remarriage, and more, Carol always made it a priority to be there for her girls. She was there supporting Mary and Lois growing up, she attended graduations, tended to skinned knees, broken hearts and life lessons; she supported career choices and changes and shared in the joys of newly found love. Carol was filled with such pride when Lois and Bill married and beamed with joy when Ashley was born making her “Grandma” for the first time and again when Samantha arrived as granddaughter #2. Carol cried a bit as she hugged Mary tight at the airport when Mary moved from NYC to CA, not knowing that less than two years later Carol would be happily flying out west as Mary and Colin married, and then again a few years after when joy sparked her life again as Taylor was born. Carol felt so blessed, and her family felt so blessed and honored to have her. Yet, Carol’s greatest joy and blessing were the relationships she had with her granddaughters Ashley, Samantha and Taylor. Each is so different, each is so fulfilling, yet each possessing one constant, unconditional love. Carol finally retired on September 30, 2017, and the Bronx girl moved to Indiana. She had been in NY with Lois, Bill, Ashley and Samantha, always a part of their family, being a part of the girls growing into young women. Retirement offered Carol the opportunity to spend that same time with Mary and Colin, and her youngest granddaughter Taylor, who she taught to always be strong and kind and never give up. Just as she loved sharing life with her family, and for that she will always be cherished, Carol was also an amazing and selfless friend, always giving of herself even when it was difficult. She felt that to give and do for others was what brought happiness to life, and happiness is what she gave to the many people around her. Her kindness touched a multitude of lives and will live forever in many hearts. There is so much more to say about Carol, but this brief bio will have to do for now. Know that Carol was loved eternally, and that she loved eternally in return. The world is absolutely a better place for her having been in it. Carol is survived by her daughters and their families: Mary, Colin and Taylor; Lois, Bill, Ashley and Samantha; extended family of nieces, nephews and their families: Nicholas and Eddie; Donna and Stu; Joe, Thea and Nicole; Tina, George, Crystal and Dominick.