Carol Arnould, 76, died peacefully on October 25, 2023 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, Mass on November 19, 2023 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.

Born on June 11, 1947 in Bloomington, Illinois, Carol survived a difficult and sometimes harrowing childhood to become an accomplished competitive dancer.  After an injury put her Ginger Rogers dreams to rest, she matriculated at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois.  The celebrated professor and theologian Dr. John Reist recognized her intellectual potential and encouraged her to pursue academics with vigor.  "He built my self-confidence and let me take academic risks, which included making errors without feeling like a failure," she wrote.  She graduated with a degree in English - the first person in her family ever to have attended college.

During her North Central years, Carol toured the Midwest with a folk group known as "Spare Change," singing and strumming on her beloved Aria acoustic six-string.  That Aria later became a centerpiece in her classrooms, where she jammed out to "Aiken Drum" and "The Marvelous Toy" to the delight of students and colleagues alike.

In college, Carol announced that she would become an early volunteer in President Kennedy's VISTA program - the domestic version of the Peace Corps.  Her parents promptly (and mostly unofficially) disowned her and refused to attend her commencement.  A friend, Gene Arnould, who was visiting from graduate school during the 1970 student strike, attended in their stead to cheer on Carol.  Carol and Gene were later married for 19 years and raised a son, Matt, who, she often reminded him, was so loud that, upon being born, the hospital nurses kicked him out of the nursery so the other babies could sleep.  She adored him despite his prodigious volume.  "I still watch for the Magi to come over the hill!" she wrote to him on nearly every birthday.

VISTA brought Carol to Washington D.C., where she lived and taught dance to elementary school students near Howard University.  The experience of saving the world "one hop-shuffle at a time" sparked an early love of teaching.  From D.C., Carol moved to Marblehead where locals observed her (ever the free spirit) thumbing rides around the North Shore to apply for jobs.  She landed her first "official" teaching gig in the drama/dance department of Ste. Chretienne Academy, an all-girls Catholic school in Salem.  There, she (in)famously staged an original (and "surprisingly well received," recalls one patron) anti-war theatrical production, which included, among other subversive elements, students costumed as the mangled war dead.  Subsequently, she taught at Notre Dame Childrens' Class in Wenham.

Carol's tenure as a full-time Marblehead educator began in 1983.  For the following 40-plus years, she taught classes of kindergartners, first, second, and third graders, and English language learners.  But, her true professional home was the Eveleth School, which she described as "little, bright, cheerful, just right Eveleth, down to the last rusty locker."  There, she worked "hard, but happy" - her professional entreaty to all, even to her final days of cognizance.  She staged dozens of musicals (sans the mangled war dead), which showcased everything from the American songbook to original compositions.  With her longtime teaching partner, Ann, she was a pioneer in bringing modern Multi-Age Classroom ("MAC"), a composite-class teaching methodology, to Marblehead, which (1) she believed facilitated demonstrable positive educational advantages for her students; and (2) generated, for Carol and Ann, a volume of work to make a corporate attorney blush.  The colorful canvas totes in which reams of schoolwork were transported home each night, weekend, and holiday break, were omnipresent reminders of their dedication to the craft, and, over the years, elements of their methodology were shared at conferences across the United States, Mexico, and China.  Carol later opined: "I had a good run.  I got to do what I wanted to do with much praise and little interference."

Carol and Ann's partnership flourished beyond the classroom, too.  They married in 2014 and, together, adopted two lovely and spirited daughters, Meg and Beth.  They'll remember Carol as both a hilarious playmate and source of comfort - portraying an effete esthetician during bathtime beauty sessions, and, at bedtime, lying on the floor between their beds, holding one of each of their hands, soothing them to sleep.  Carol and Ann raised their family in Marblehead, alongside the many students who loved them as second mothers.

Carol equally adored her daughter-in-law, Leslie, whom she greeted with a gleeful "hello gorgeous!"  To Matt, she wrote: "She is such a special person, kind and caring.  You are blessed to have such a wonderful wife and friend, and she is an amazing mother… handling it all with grace, humor, and lots of love."  During the entire course of their relationship, she introduced and treated Leslie as her daughter.

When Carol learned that she would become a grandmother, she announced that she wished to be known, henceforth to all, as "Bubbe" - an influence from her years teaching summer camp at the local Jewish Community Center, where she "saw so many happy and loving Bubbes."  The world was, however, deprived of its first gentile Bubbe when the grandchildren, Freddy, Beckett, and Beatrice, instead dubbed her "Mema."  To all three of them, she was a constant source of warmth and love.  Mema will be forever remembered dressed in her Batman (aka "Bat-Mema") costume, fist raised in glorious triumph, helping her little ones "save the universe."  Thankfully, their collective derring-do always managed to save the day.

In addition to teaching, over the years Carol: (i) embraced what she called her "manic decorator mode" and owned a Mary Emmerling-inspired furniture and design shop, Country Home; (ii) saw her own home decor featured in "Colonial Homes" and "Better Homes and Gardens" magazines (iii) served on the Marblehead Disabilities Commission; (iv) was a staffer at the Marblehead Reporter; (v) amassed serious folk art and farm antiques collections; (vi) cultivated exquisite gardens; (vii) studied Tang Soo Do; (viii) read voraciously; (ix) indulged a love of theater and classical music; (x) never met a sweet she didn't love; (xi) delighted in popovers and jam at her favorite travel destination, Jordan Pond House in Acadia National Park; and (xii) and laughed often and infectiously.

The most common recollection from her friends, in fact, was that, in addition to being a brilliant teacher, creative mind, generous spirit, and an energetic and loving presence, she was seriously funny.  Although she never aspired to inclusion in Bartlett's, her wit and wisdom shall endure:

On humor: "We all need a little funny."
On parenting: "People who love you… are flawed… as we all are.  Parents keep shrinks in business."
On disposition: "Patience is not my long suit when it comes to… well, a lot of things, I guess."
On professionalism: "Ya gotta really enjoy what you're doing to do it well… even when the work sucks."
On religion: "I need some Zen, I think."
On technology: "Oh, the tech age is a challenge for the age-d!"
On nearly every sweet she ever sampled: "Sinful!"
On horticulture: "I have made a decision not to worry about anything when I am working in the garden."
On education: "Helping kids build and maintain self esteem, have venues for building leadership skills, discovering the confidence to try and do better next time (risk it) requires thinking inclusively about a curriculum. You really have to understand how to mix, blend, bring meaning, and foster learners."
On aging: "Some people go gray in their 20s.  Silver is nice, too.  Distinguished, even."
On popularity (and bake-offs): "I now realize that the little girl from the strict evangelical family who wore brown tights, long dresses, and braids actually baked the best pie.  But, she wasn't popular, so the three girls who put together an OK cake won… I was one of the three, which is why I may still feel it was fun."
On wildlife: "Turtles!  Put July 30 and August 30 on your calendar as possible hatch dates.  You don't want to miss the fun of running around the yard with a bucket helping me capture and transport the little critters to the pond.  This will be a great photo op!"
On winter: "The forecast calls for brrrrrr, so bring your woolies!"
On corporate ethics: "I will never be a trader… let alone an insider."
On Vietnam: "It's now a lovely place, I hear… after 20 years and Agent Orange calming down."
On the importance of regular colonoscopies: "I am Super Woman.  Promise made.  Promise kept.  Compliments and tributes accepted."
On left-hand turns: "I avoid them."
On the Marblehead transfer station: "Visited the dump today… one of my favorite town activities (and, no, I have no idea why)."
On superpowers: "I would never hurt a fly.  But, if I had any ability, I would love to make anyone who cuts me off in traffic suddenly have massive diarrhea… especially if they're driving a luxury sedan and sprung for the expensive leather seats."
On celebrating the Mass (n.b., she was not Catholic): "We were asked to present the host to the Father.  I watched carefully and none of the saints fell off the wall, the roof did not cave in and we had no heart attacks that I am aware of.... yet.  Sometimes just being there opens some minds, even if just a tiny crack."
On growing up: "Maturity is a very individualized acquisition."
On friendship: "I wish I could sit with you, have a cuppa something, and just jump from topic to topic."
On life: "There is, finally, something surreal about this journey we all take.  I can't put my finger on it.  But the swiftness that takes years… the youngness inside while the outside ages… all very surreal."
She will be equally remembered for her tendency to exclaim, to no one in particular, "well, isn't this just charming," which was, itself, completely charming.  Carol found beauty, wonderment, and joy in even the smallest of details.

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 19th 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.