Carlton Kessler Wolpin

Carl was born in Perth Amboy, New Jersey on April 19, 1948, the youngest of three sons. He grew up in Woodbridge, New Jersey, enjoying a childhood with doting uncles and aunts. His favourite place was ‘the mountains,’ a summer home on Lake Taconic in the Hudson Valley in New York State. It was there that he learned to love forests, wildlife, and gardening.

His thirst for learning led him to complete five degrees in Anthropology, Education, Forestry, and Counselling and Family Therapy.

During his studies he moved north, first to Vermont and then to Nova Scotia where he met Ruth while taking a degree in Special Education. He dropped out of the course but married Ruth and they enjoyed fifty-two years together. Carl adored Ruth, asking her hand in marriage two weeks after they met. He knew she was the one. Carl expressed his love to Ruth daily.

While working on his education degree, he was encouraged to develop a science program at a rural school in New Brunswick. He then started his teaching career at Hampton Elementary School. Not satisfied with traditional teaching methods, he embarked on experiential learning, developing programs in children’s literature and science and was eventually awarded the Hilroy Fellowship for excellence in teaching. Years later some of his students wrote letters saying their time in his class was the best in their entire education and that they learned lessons that helped guide them through life.

Wanting a change, Carl became a guidance counsellor helping children with challenges such as divorce, abuse, family deaths and bullying. He developed a school-wide peer helping program which gave students tools to deal with conflict. Protecting the environment was also a priority. He was involved in activism against nuclear power, widespread aerial spraying of forests in New Brunswick, protecting wetlands and preventing fracking for shale gas.

Carl was a lifelong gardener using his knowledge of botany and soil science to create organic gardens, flower plots, berries and fruit trees. He was also passionate about stained glass, photography and in his later years, watercolour painting.

The highlight of his life was raising his three children, Rebecca, Eli, and David, and seeing them with their respective partners, Omar, Kristine, and Lily. Carl was over the moon with joy when his three grandchildren, Rosa, Zoe, and Rahm were born. He shared with his children and grandchildren his love of learning, art, music, gardening, and cooking.

In his retirement years, he and Ruth travelled around South America. Carl hiked to the basecamp of Mount Everest, explored spirituality, and taught students learning English as an additional language.

It is impossible to reduce someone’s life to this chronology. His love and zest for life will be greatly missed by his wife Ruth; his children Rebecca, David and Eli, and their spouses; his grandchildren, Rosa, Zoe, and Rahm; his extended family; and many, many friends.