Carol S. McCauley

Carol Suzanne McCauley (Mom) passed peacefully in her Lynn, MA residence on August 8 at the grand age of 95 while under the care of her devoted family. Carol was born March 29, 1931, at Mary Immaculate Hospital in Jamaica, Queens, NY, the youngest of three daughters to parents Vincent and Anna Gutling (nee Springsteen), descendant of a rich ancestry comprised of both 19th century German and Irish immigrants and pre-Revolutionary Dutch and English settlers.

Carol met the love of her life, Joseph Patrick McCauley Jr., in fourth grade in Valley Stream, NY, and married her childhood sweetheart in 1953 at the age of 22. Carol and Joe raised a family of ten children as they followed opportunities to Indiana, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Virginia, and finally Georgia. In Georgia, Carol was a devoted member of All Saints Catholic Church in Dunwoody and St. Benedict Catholic Church in Johns Creek. She once attended a service in Rome and had a close encounter with the Pope. Always wanting to help others, Carol was a committed volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul thrift store in Duluth, Ga.

Carol learned the lessons of struggle and loss throughout her life, having lost her sister Bernice and father Vincent at a young age. Following the death of her husband, Joe, in 1983, she leaned on her faith and exhibited remarkable strength raising her family, which included four teenage children still at home. Many of her fondest memories were of spending long, full summer days with the family at Santa Rosa and Grayton Beach on the Gulf.

Despite life’s challenges, her positive spirit always remained intact. Her caring heart will be her legacy, always taking the time to ask how you were doing and to help ease your burden or soothe your heart. Carol had a way of making everyone she met feel seen and loved. She was inquisitive, sincere, and understood what was important in life: family, friends, and faith. She always noticed and remarked on the beauty of the world around her, the glimmering ocean, flowers in bloom, children playing and laughing, families picnicking, the sun setting, a blue heron flying to the horizon. She loved playing games and was a fierce competitor and frequent winner at dominoes, gin rummy, and even the family’s March Madness basketball pool. Carol made the world a better place to be, and her light will forever shine in the hearts of those who love her dearly.

Carol is preceded in death by her mother and father, her sisters Bernice and Audrey (Riker), her husband Joe, and her sons Joseph III and Timothy. She is survived by children Linda Wood, Susan Takis (Nick), Villy Sierra, Peter (Terry), Kevin (Kim), Debra Wilbanks and her husband Joe Wilbanks, Michael and his partner John Lowell, Danny (Jill), Mary (Rich), and Tom (Karen), along with grandchildren Rebecca (Jay), Dominick (Pui), Nicholas (Hanna), Anthony, Sarah (Steven), Charlotte, Anna (Will), Cole (Chloe), Jesse, Jason, Jonah, Abby, Thomas (Aylie), Jackson, Dwight (Allana), and Joseph IV (Sophi), and great-grandchildren Isabella, Natalie, and Andrew.

A Memorial Mass will be held in the Immaculate Conception Church – Mary, Queen of the Apostles Parish in Salem, MA, at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, 2026. In lieu of flowers, Carol has asked for contributions to the World Central Kitchen Food Relief Efforts in Ukraine.

Carol will be buried in Arlington Memorial Park, Sandy Springs, GA, alongside her Joe at a graveside service in March 2027 (updated details to follow). The family finds comfort knowing she is again with her husband, sons Joey and Tim, her sisters, and parents.