Caroline Romaine Hartzler

Caroline was born in York, Pennsylvania on October 9, 1937 to Louis Scicchitano and Alverta Scicchitano (Cacciola). She is survived by her sister Elizabeth Gibson and her husband George and their son James Gibson, daughter Lisa Kadous and husband John of San Antonio, TX, son Timothy Hartzler and wife Tammy of Nokesville, VA, and her granddaughters Caryn Kadous and Victoria Kadous and fiancé Dylan Chapman.

Caroline was the oldest of two siblings. She was a wonderful daughter and included her parents in all her activities. She was a devout Catholic. She attended and graduated from Immaculata College in 1959. Following graduation, she worked for the OSS in Washington, D.C. Her first assignment was to the Burma Embassy where she worked for two years. While she was in Burma, Caroline met her future husband, Lawrence D. Hartzler. They married following their return to the United States in October 1964. Caroline and Lawrence had two children and traveled for his military work around the United States including living in the Philippines for four years. They raised a wonderful family. While Caroline was caring for her children she joined an artisans guild and learned the art of Pewter, became a pewter smith, and sold her designs in Tryon Palace in North Carolina. Caroline loved to travel and took advantage of it when the family was stationed in the Philippines. After being away from the work force for many years and settling back in the states she began working again for the State Department in the finance division. Caroline loved her work in all of the positions she held, she was able to travel and experience the world which allowed her to explore other cultures. Caroline had a love of languages, especially French and Italian. She met each work challenge with a spirit of excellence and became a well-rounded officer for the Agency.

Caroline resided in Belgium for four years. After returning back to Burke, Virginia she retired after 25 years of service, retiring in 1997. She retired with much appreciation from her colleagues for her faithful and loyal support. In retirement, Caroline continued to travel with her sister, Elizabeth, tour groups and on her own. She loved participating in the Winston Churchill Society, where she was President and held several other volunteer positions. She spoke often about meeting Winston Churchill’s granddaughters. She joined a Mahjong Club and loved playing with her neighbors and taught many friends how to play. She became an instructor at the local YMCA. Her love of trading stocks kept her sharp and up to date on many financial opportunities.

Caroline adored spending time with her two granddaughters, Caryn and Victoria, who would frequently visit while they were living in Virginia. She instilled a love of travel in her grandchildren and loved to tell them stories about her life. Caroline was an inspiration to those around her and supported her grandchildren throughout their education to ensure that they could have careers that they loved as well. She assisted them in their education, love of chocolate, cooking, traveling and reading. She passed on many family recipes, especially her Apple Cookies, Italian meatballs and lasagna recipes to name a few.

Caroline moved to San Antonio, Texas in 2021 to live with her daughter, Lisa, and son-in law, John. There she spent many hours enjoying the outdoors, reading and relaxing. She traveled with them, when possible, on short trips and enjoyed the San Antonio community.

Caroline will be dearly missed by all of her friends and family. We know she is at peace in the Glory of God.

You can leave a message or memory on the tribute wall at Porter Loring funeral home web site, https://www.PorterLoring.com. If you would like, you can make a donation to the American Heart Association at https://heart.org, in lieu of flowers. A Celebration of Life will be held in San Antonio, Texas on Monday, December 11, 2023, at 10 AM at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Everyone is encouraged to wear Caroline’s favorite color, Red, bring stories and to enjoy the time with all who loved her, contact Lisa Kadous for details.