Carol Layton

Born December 23, 1933, “Christmas” Carol grew up in Tottenville, Staten Island, the only child of Frank and Caroline (Wallum) Lehman. Frank co-owned the Lehman Brothers Drug Store and Carol, a life-long dairy lover, fondly recalled sitting at the counter eating ice cream daily. Her beloved cousin, Virgina (Beth) Anderson, came to live with Carol’s family in her teens and the two were as close as sisters.

Carol worked in Manhattan, New York City, as an executive secretary until her marriage to Nicholas Francis Tralongo, a research analyst who specialized in electronics, on May 19, 1962. The two moved to New Jersey and quickly settled in Branchburg, where they raised their family. Like most women of her generation, Carol was the backbone and glue that held her family and the community together. She was a homemaker who was fond of gardening and farmers’ markets. She was a gourmet cook who specialized in German and Italian foods, with a motto of “fresh is best”. She was a consummate volunteer who spent many days at the local school cooking hot dogs and other lunch treats and after school as a long-time Girl Scout leader. She also participated in the women’s ministry at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Hunterdon and was active in the nearby Townwide Women’s Group Hospitality in Somerville. Sadly, she became a widow in 1981 after the untimely passing of Nick.

Carol returned to work as an Administrative Assistant for a large corporation. After a few years alone raising and sending her daughters off to college, she was very fortunate to find a second love, Alfred Layton, who was an accomplished civil engineer. The two met at a church event run by Al, an avid canoeist and active Appalachian Mountain Club trip leader. They married on October 1, 1988, and shared their love of golden retrievers, camping, and the outdoors with their blended family and embarked on countless canoe-camping trips in New England and Maine, including tidal canoe surfing at Beal Island. Carol enjoyed feeding the many visiting relatives and caring for her family in any way she could.

After retirement in the 1990s, the couple headed up to Swan’s Island, Maine, to a passive solar home Al designed and built with a crew as a summer home. (Their girls and nieces have fond memories of canoeing and camping up at Swan’s.) The pair spent many hours volunteering at the Odd Fellows Hall, at both the Baptist and Methodist churches, the Island Library, and around the island whenever a need arose. They enjoyed helping with the occasional New England Lobster Bake, an all-day affair of preparation that required a canoe paddle in the cove and around the point gathering seaweed, collecting firewood to heat the giant rocks, feeding the fire all day, and finally throwing the seaweed on the hot stones, placing all the seafood on it, and covering the entire creation with a canvas to let the seafood steam into the most delicious dinner eaten outdoors by the water. These cherished memories have lasted far longer than the following tides that cleaned the rocks for the next event.

Carol became a master quilter, with baby crib quilts being her favorite keepsake to gift to new parents. She and Al had many island friends and Carol enjoyed hosting sumptuous, multi-course dinner parties. Due to the winter cold, the couple and their two golden retriever companions became snowbirds, traveling the country in a 5th wheel RV. They crossed the entire country multiple times while making stops to work on Habitat for Humanity projects, venturing to Canada, Mexico, and all around the USA, particularly enjoying time spent in Temecula, California.

Older age and declining health necessitated a move to “the mainland” in 2006. They settled in Brunswick, ME, where Carol became an active member at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, joining the women’s committee cooking and baking countless delicious meals and treats, arranging flowers, and hand crafting many knitted and quilted items for their yearly Christmas Fair. She also enjoyed having the quilt store nearby and spending many hours happily sewing with her friends, making quilts and other items that she gifted to loved ones. She also found time to help at the Soup Kitchen MidCoast Hunger Prevention Program, the Gathering Place and Tedford Place Housing.

Al’s passing in 2017 led to a move to Sunnybrook Senior Living in Brunswick, Maine, where Carol continued to drive and enjoy her local endeavors as well as socializing “with the girls” at daily meals and community events. COVID quarantines ultimately brought her to Michigan to live with, then near, her daughter, Diane. Carol was an active participant at all of her new homes where she organized libraries, started book clubs, helped tend raised garden beds, joined in puzzle groups, bingo and other social activities, and always shared her opinions at the monthly resident/chef planning sessions!

Her final move was to Serene Gardens of Hartland where their wonderful staff tenderly doted on her and even made her milk shakes. Carol remained sharp and in control of her own destiny, but after a long, slow loss of her physical abilities, and under the care of hospice, she passed away peacefully on May 25, 2026.

She will be greatly missed by her loving daughter, Diane Tralongo, grandchildren, Katherine and Mitchell Kim, her extended family, and her dear step family: daughters Elizabeth Layton and Virginia Layton-Leal (Jose), grandson, Hans Leal (Michelle), nieces, Marianne Brinker, Madelyn Sturgeon (Steve), and Ellen Brinker, nephew William Fox, grand-nephew David Sturgeon (Amanda), and two great grand-nephews, and grand-nieces Christina and Elizabeth Sturgeon.

Committal will be at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and Memorial Garden in Brunswick, Maine, on Saturday, July 18, 2026 at 10am, followed by a reception in the Great Hall. Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.eltonblackandsonhighland.com. Arrangements are under the care of Elton Black and Son Funeral Home in Highland, Michigan.