Carl was born in New York, NY, to the late Olga and Carlos Pastor, Sr. After spending the first 2.5 decades of his life in New York City, Carl would eventually settle in Baltimore, MD, where he would begin to build his career and continue to build his family. Carl graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore with a Masters of Social Work (MSW) in 1998. Over the next 22 years he built a career in substance abuse and mental health counseling, eventually having his own psychotherapy practice.
Carl would meet his future wife, Janet Ruck, while working in a public health hospital in Baltimore. They were married in 1981 and moved to Towson, MD, before settling in Columbia MD, where they would raise their two children. Sadly, Janet passed away 9 days before Carl. Carl is survived by his three children: Taina Martinez, Stefan Pastor, and Darryl Pastor, as well as his two grandchildren CJ and Brandon Martinez. Being one of 9 children, Carl leaves behind 6 sisters and dozens of nieces and nephews.
From an early age, Carl was well known for his mild, “cool” and easy-going manner. Another distinguishing characteristic of Carl was his unique, bellowing laughter. Legend has it that his laugh was once used to identify his location in a high-rise apartment building. Carl’s personality made him well suited for service to others. From his early years as an activist with the “Young Lords,” to his work as a psychotherapist and addiction counselor, Carl always found himself considering and helping others. In addition to building his own psychotherapy practice, Carl worked with students in the Howard County School System. His service did not stop at the end of the work day. Carl was well known as the person that people come to for advice, whether it be family, friends, or friends of friends, he was willing to listen and provide feedback. Carl was a family man. He deeply loved his wife, his children and grandchildren, his brother, mother, all 7 of his sisters, and his many friends, who he also considered to be family.
There will be a joint memorial service for Carl and his wife, Janet, on October 3rd at 2pm, the day after their 39th wedding anniversary, at their home in Columbia, MD. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the service will be by invitation only. The service will be streamed through Zoom. To participate in the Zoom service contact Darryl Pastor at [email protected]. In lieu of flowers, please donate on behalf of Carl and his family to the Prostate Cancer Foundation.
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