Carolyn Ann Rosenfeld

Dr. Carolyn Ann Rosenfeld, 69, of Marco Island, FL passed away suddenly yet peacefully on October 11, 2026. She was an extraordinary person who had great love for her husband, her family and for learning. She was born in Newark, NJ and raised in Clifton, NJ where she graduated high school with honors. She went on attending Montclair State University and receiving a bachelor’s degree in Psychology while holding several jobs, including one at Keystone Camera Corp, where she met her husband, Richard Rosenfeld. Carolyn and Richard were married in 1990. Still, she continued returning to Montclair State for her master’s degree in Education. In 1989, she started teaching at Ridgewood High School, in NJ. While teaching, she attended the Seton Hall’s doctorate program in the evening and received her Doctor of Education. She continued to teach at Ridgewood High School with great respect for 25 years until retiring with her husband, to Marco Island, FL in 2014.

In retirement Carolyn’s brilliance flourished, doing all the things that meant so much to her. She joined the Marco Island Historical Society where she became active in their docent program. She also became involved in in an affiliated re-enactors group, portraying various historical figures of early Marco Island as well as notable female historical figures from the time of the founding of our country. For our country’s 250th anniversary, she impressively wrote a one person show which she also performed at various events on Marco Island. She was received with great admiration and appreciation.

Carolyn was an avid reader and spearheaded the Hideaway Beach Book Club in her community. She was drawn to the beaches and became an avid sheller, collecting and organizing all the thousands of shells she accumulated over the years, and enjoying her bird friends along the way. She not only collected but crafted the shells into all sorts of animals and flowers, got great pleasure from giving them away to her friends and acquaintances. True to her Italian-American heritage she was an avid bocce ball player instrumental in helping her Hideaway Beach team to several championships. She was also an active member of the Marco Island Italian American Club joining them in many of their functions and activities. They will miss her charm and knack for joke-telling.

As an Educator, Carolyn understood the importance of education. In addition to mentoring her nieces and nephews over the years, she and her husband joined the Guadalupe Organization and mentored two sisters who have grown to become successful young ladies. The older sister is now an educator in Immokalee and the younger one is doing very well in college. Carolyn was also an active volunteer in the Hideaway Beach Buddy Day program serving children from Immokalee. She really enjoyed being among young people. In addition, she was a volunteer at Habitat for Humanity.

Travel was always a passion for Carolyn. She had visited many places over the years and most recently enjoyed cruising throughout the Caribbean, Alaska, Mexican Riviera, Panama Canal and the Mediterranean. Sadly, there were trips planned in the months ahead to Denmark and Norway and followed by a trip to the California wine country. Socializing came easy to Carolyn. She was very involved in her community at Hideaway being an active participant in the social scene and supporting many of the special events, especially if there was a theme!

She is survived and loved greatly by her beloved husband Richard Rosenfeld, stepson Jason Rosenfeld, her brother Joseph LaBate and wife, Roseanne, her sisters Christina Gatto and Cheryl Berardi and husband Richard, sisters-in-law Patti LaBate and Jane Bank Spath and her son Jonathan, 7 nieces and nephews, Joseph LaBate, Jr and wife Sharon, Daniel LaBate and wife Catherine, Lorenzo Berardi, Siena Berardi, Vincent Gatto, Chelsea LaBate and husband Cyrus, Leonardo LaBate, and great niece and nephew, Lola and Crew LaBate. Carolyn was predeceased by her parents, Frank LaBate, Sr. and Venie Petti-LaBate, as well as her brother, Frank LaBate, Jr.

Carolyn enjoyed life, enjoyed people, enjoyed getting involved and will be missed beyond what words can express.

A Memorial Service will take place at Hodges-Josberger Funeral Home, located at 577 E. Elkcam Circle, Marco Island on Saturday October 17, 2026, at 5:00 pm. Visitation will be held between the hours of 2 PM and 5 PM. Her body will return to her native state -New Jersey for entombment.

It is requested that in lieu of flowers donations be made to either the Marco Island Historical Society through their website – https://themihs.org or to the Guadalupe Center through their website – https://guadalupecenter.org