Carol H. Wallace (Herrmann), age 96, of Bedford, MA, died Sunday February 21 after a short illness. Carol was born in New York City on January 28, 1925. She grew up during the depression in a family without a lot of formal education, but with a lively intellectual life, discussing a wide range of topics including science and theology.
Carol was an excellent student in high school, and entered Queens College to study chemistry. She proved just as good a student in college, and as an upperclassman became a teaching assistant for the chemistry department. In this teaching job she met her future husband Stan, just back from the war.
After graduating from Queens College in three and a half years, Carol was encouraged to go on to graduate school, and went to the University of Wisconsin. She stayed in touch with Stan, who was finishing up at Queens College, and planning to go to medical school. One summer he moved to Madison to be with Carol, taking some courses there and working. Carol skipped the masters program and went straight for her PhD (Chemistry), obtaining it in only three years at the age of 24.
Carol returned to New York after her PhD and married Stan, who was in medical school at NYU. World War II opened up a lot of job opportunities for women out of necessity, but Carol found that many of them were rolled back after the war. She was unable to get a job in industry despite her degrees since they refused to hire women, so she used her undergraduate connections to get a teaching job at Queens College. She supported Stan until they moved to Seattle for his medical residency.
After the residency, they lived in the Cleveland area for 25 years. For the first dozen years or so she raised three children (and a fourth foster child for five years), ran Bible clubs from her home, and was active in the church, doing outreach to many of her neighbors as well as their children. She retained her interest in science and chemistry and her membership in the American Chemical Society; Scientific American and Chemical and Engineering News showed up in her mailbox without fail.
Once her kids were old enough to need less direct supervision, Carol took a teaching job at Kent State University, Ashtabula campus. She didn't mind the 44 mile commute, but when a lake effect snowstorm hit while she was working, she would check into a motel in Ashtabula rather than drive the impassable I-90. She finished her teaching career at a small Catholic college nearer to home. Carol remained in contact with a few of her students for many years afterwards.
After a few years in Tulsa, where Stan taught psychiatry at Oral Roberts University Medical School, they moved to Bedford, MA to be near two of their children and their grandchildren. Carol's desire was to pour knowledge into the next generation, as well as into teachers of that generation. She was always available to spend time with her grandchildren, or to babysit kids in the neighborhood for short times as a favor to their parents. She spent a lot of time mentoring younger Christian women, giving them tips on life and methods of teaching children. Carol was a definite behind-the-scenes person, and the full scope of her mentoring was known to few. Some did know that she spent a fair amount of time visiting the sick and disabled, particularly one woman whom she visited weekly for years.
Carol supported the American Scientific Affiliation's efforts to explore science and Christian theology, maintaining membership for many years as well as attending the annual meetings in 2000 and 2005.
Carol corresponded faithfully with many of her distant friends up until her late 80's. She did not enjoy watching TV, and read many books instead. It was easy to tell if Carol had read a book by looking for her copious bright color highlighting. She was a self-deprecating person who did not stand on formality; her own children had no idea she had a PhD until the mid 60's when they happened upon a piece of mail addressed to "Dr. Carol."
Carol is survived by her three children and their spouses, Tim and Laura, Amy Evans and Bill, and Mark and Anna. She was the beloved grandmother of eight, and great-grandmother of three. She was predeceased by her husband Stanley. Memorial gifts may be made to the American Scientific Affiliation, 218 Boston St., Ste 208, Topsfield, MA 01983 or the American Bible Society, North Independence Mall, 101 East FL8 Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155.