Caryl Elizabeth Ahern, 60, beloved mother, Nana, sister, and aunt, of Hooksett, passed away on April 13, 2015, after a heroic battle with cancer.
Caryl worked tirelessly for over 30 years in her life-long mission of helping our military veterans. She began her work in the early 1980s as a counselor at the Veterans Hospital in Manchester and then transferred to the then-fledgling Manchester Vet Center. During her career she helped thousands of veterans reassemble their lives after their military combat experiences. She played a pivotal role in shaping the development of the federal Vet Center program through her leadership of the Manchester Vet Center.
In 1992, after receiving her Masters in Social Work degree, Caryl became the first female Team Leader of any Vet Center in the Country. Veterans were a priority to Caryl; she had a quiet and effective manner of making the Vet Center feel like home. She organized and hosted many holiday gatherings and observances, always making sure the veterans and their families had a safe place to gather and enjoy their camaraderie. She made these events an integral part of her life, oftentimes postponing her own family holiday activities or bringing her children to celebrate with the veteran community.
Throughout her career, she lead many veterans support groups, organized outreach activities at public events, worked at debriefing military personnel returning from combat duty, and always encouraged the families of the veterans to participate in the process of healing and readjustments. "Our society owes you a huge debt that can never truly be repaid", she told the vets.
Caryl was a pioneer in establishing the immediate care of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Caryl's treatment program was guided by the notion that early intervention may lessen the impact of traumatic experiences our men and women of the armed forces experienced overseas. This program led to ground-breaking interventions with the soldiers and deployment of Vet Center resources. What began with baby steps in NH became a treatment protocol throughout the New England states and later for the nation.
Caryl loved nature and as a young woman, cut down seventeen saplings, stripped the bark, and assembled a tipi wrapped in canvas complete with a fire pit, oriental rugs, turntable, and bed. She split wood in the mornings to build a fire to make coffee and breakfast. She bathed in the pond near her tipi and in winter often crossed the field in snowshoes to reach her tipi home where she lived for two years.
At nineteen, Caryl traveled to Mexico for an independent study with Antioch University Without Walls. She journeyed to a tiny village where no one spoke English. After six weeks there she awoke one morning and understood everyone. Later, she hitchhiked through South America. She camped on the side of a volcano and as it erupted that night, she set up a tripod to take photos before dashing down to safety. She continued traveling throughout her life fascinated with the art, cultures, and food from many countries.
Caryl shared her unique sense of humor, delight in the unexpected, and love of delicious food and cooking. Her enchiladas and "Reine de Saba" cake were legendary. Her curiosity, generosity, and kindness touched everyone she met.
Caryl leaves behind her son, Noah Perch-Ahern and his wife Lori; her two daughters, Alexandra Hoffman and her husband Trevor, and Taeva Ahern; her two granddaughters, Isla and Quinn; her siblings, Rosemary Grey and her husband Nicholas, Therese Colby and her husband Jay, Joseph Ahern, Mary Jo Ahern, Kathleen Shattuck and her husband John, Michael Ahern and his wife Maggie; and many nieces and nephews. She was predeceased by her brother, Richard Ahern, and her parents, Joseph Ahern and Mary Ahern (née Dooner).
A memorial service was held on Sunday, April 19, 2015 at Congregational Church of Hooksett, 5 Veterans Drive, Hooksett, NH. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be sent to: Manchester Vet Center, 1461 Hooksett Road, Suite B7
Hooksett, NH 03106. Lambert Funeral Home assisted the family with arrangements.