Carolyn Kerb Bailey, 49, daughter of David and Sylvia Bailey of Newcastle, died on Dec. 30 at Exeter Healthcare, Exeter, N.H., three days before her 50th birthday. She was diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer at the beginning of 2009 and was in Newcastle last summer while getting treatment in Portland. She received excellent care at Miles Memorial when she was diagnosed with meningitis. After recovering at her parents’ home, she returned to her home in Wellsboro, Penn.
Born Jan. 2, 1961 in Rochester, N.H., Carolyn graduated from Gates-Chili High School in the Rochester, N.Y. metro area where she was a distance swimmer. She attended SUNY at Geneseo, N.Y. where she captained the synchronized swim team, and earned bachelors and masters degrees from the University of New Hampshire. She taught middle school English and Social Studies at Kingswood Regional, Wolfeboro, N.H., and at Milton, N.H. Before continuing her career in education, Carolyn entered the business world in Portsmouth, N.H. and made many friends when she managed Harbor Treats where she was famous for her homemade scones.
During graduate school at UNH, Carolyn worked in the Ford Grant program which is now the Federal Trio Grant Program. She continued her work to ensure the educational success of federal scholarship students as a counselor for six years at Northern New Mexico Community College in Española; three years with Astoria, Ore. area schools under the aegis of Clatsop Community College; at Mansfield (Penn.) University where she began in 2007 and was still under contract all of last year.
In addition to her parents, Carolyn is survived by her brother and sister-in-law, Michael Bailey and Ilara Donarum; nieces, Maya Grace and Kira Noelle Bailey of Portsmouth, N.H.; brother, Stephen Bailey of No. Hampton, N.H.; sister, Johanna E.B. Barnes of Vernon, Conn., her caregiver and patient advocate since Nov. 14; also by two aunts and uncles and three cousins.
Celebration of her life will be held in the Portsmouth area on Jan. 15.
Carolyn asked that anyone wishing to make a donation in her memory, send it to the Midcoast Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (MUUF) building fund, P.O. Box 1021, Damariscotta, ME 04553.
