Following a life filled with the love of family and the joy of music, Carole Tims Todaro passed away surrounded by family on November 6, 2024, in Londonderry, New Hampshire.
Raised in Wellesley, Massachusetts, Carole was the eldest of three daughters born to Margaret and Leonard Tims. She was a proud member of the Wellesley High School class of 1950 and remained connected to classmates throughout her life. Sylvia Plath, the poet, was a notable member of her class and Carole always enjoyed talking to groups about Sylvia’s early life.
Staying close to home, Carole attended Wellesley College where she majored in French, played the carillon, and squeezed in a bridge game whenever she could. By luck, a friend invited her to a USO dance at what was then known as Fort Devens in central Massachusetts where she met a great dancer and her eventual husband, Nathan Todaro. Nate was serving in the Army and would be posted to Asmara, Ethiopia. Upon graduating from college, Carole rendezvoused with Nate in Rome, Italy where they married in October 1954 and began 38 years of life together first in Asmara, then Chelmsford, Massachusetts, and Londonderry, New Hampshire. In her later years, Carole resided in Manchester, New Hampshire.
Once married, Carole embraced parenting, having five children over seventeen years, imbuing them all with strong values, work ethic, and a love of family. Her counsel that “your sister is your best friend” was taken to heart. Carole also contributed her talents to groups like the League of Women Voters and her church choir and became a substitute French teacher in the local public schools. She was an ardent supporter of her husband’s career as a high school teacher, coach, athletic director, and camp director. She teamed up with Nate to run the summer office operations for the Boston YMCA’s North Woods Camp for boys and Sandy Island Family Camp on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire for over 30 years. Those were memorable summers for the entire family.
As her parenting demands started to ease, Carole turned her attention to refreshing her own interests. She began playing the violin again, which she had studied in her younger years, taking lessons with a member of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. She took courses in music theory at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell as well as education classes at Rivier College while she debated becoming a violin teacher or a French teacher. The violin prevailed.
Carole became certified in the Suzuki method of teaching violin, taught in public schools, then opened her own studio. She performed in local musical productions and with various orchestras and ensembles. With another Suzuki teacher who was a close friend, she co-founded the Westford Suzuki School in Westford, Massachusetts. Carole founded and directed an annual week-long summer Suzuki music camp at the Sandy Island Family Camp for over 35 years. Both the Westford school and the music camp still operate today.
Carole was delighted that many of her children and grandchildren became interested in music and learned to play various instruments. Several of them studied violin with her and now play regularly, including with the Portsmouth (NH) Symphony Orchestra. Carole was always there to support the family’s musical interests by attending concerts, providing practice help or offering general encouragement.
When Carole wasn’t teaching or performing the violin, she could be found on the tennis court. She played regularly, typically 2-3 times a week, when most people her age had given up the sport. Tennis was often followed by a game of bridge which further enabled Carole to channel her competitive spirit.
Carole’s legacy will live on in her large close-knit family as well as her many students, friends, and colleagues. She is survived by her five children and their spouses: Linda Todaro (Stephen Mabee), Andrea Sullivan (Robert), Christina Reynolds (Mark), Diana Bourns (Sam), and David Todaro (Lisa), her twelve grandchildren and one great-grandchild, her two sisters, Priscilla Carlson (Richard) and Marcia Farwell (Clarence), as well as her sisters-in-law, Mary Todaro Laspata, Amelia Todaro, and Mary Todaro. Carole’s husband, Nate, pre-deceased her in 1993.
A celebration of life will be held on Friday, December 6 at 1 pm at St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 258 Concord Street in Newton Lower Falls, MA. All are welcome. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Carole’s memory to the Greater Boston YMCA Camping Division, https://give.ymcaboston.org/campaign/ygb-overnight-camps-2024/c552963 .