CAROLINE HUBER

1927 - 2021

HUBER--Caroline Parker. Caroline, known to many as Carol, died peacefully at home in Locust, NJ, on Tuesday, February 9th. She had struggled to recover from a fall in July, but remained engaged and curious until her final hours. Throughout these challenging months, she enjoyed the support and encouragement of her devoted family and friends, for which she was genuinely and humbly grateful. Caroline was born on September 22, 1927, in New York City, and grew up in Greenwich, CT, and New Bedford, MA. She attended Rosemary Hall School, graduated from Vassar College in 1949, earned an M.A. in history education from Teachers College, Columbia University, and, in her mid-50s, a Ph.D. in English from Rutgers University. She taught for many years at every level, including her last endeavor, a writing class at a nearby senior living facility, where she was still teaching at age 92 until COVID made it impossible. She was fiercely committed to learning, never stopped for herself, always encouraging others to learn alongside her. Indefatigable, she also raised five children with her husband of 58 years, Michael Huber, whom she married in 1951 during his leave of absence from the US Air Force. Together Mike and Carol treated family and friends to the best their limitless imaginations could conjure: art and artists; books, birds, and boats; picnics and parties; travels and treks. Their curiosity and enthusiasm were infectious, and they were widely admired for their critical judgment in matters ranging from business to zoology. Caroline was active in many civic endeavors including the League of Women Voters, political campaigns for local and national candidates, and protests in opposition to pipelines through her beloved Pinelands. She served on a variety of non-profit boards, helping to establish Red Bank's Two River Theater and promoting environmental protection, food security, housing stability, and mental health services. In 1998, she established the Stone Foundation of New Jersey, and served as its guiding visionary until her final days. She was universally generous with her time, her talent, and her treasure. Many will remember her as a loyal and devoted friend who was endlessly interested in the lives of the people she loved. Her calendar was filled with birthdays, every one of which she did her best to commemorate. Her email inbox filled daily with messages from around the world, sometimes merely hellos, more often deep dives into some issue of common concern. The range of her acquaintance was astounding. Caroline will be missed above all by her family: her five children and their spouses, her twelve grandchildren and their partners, and her two great-grandchildren, all of whom have followed breathlessly along the paths of her inexhaustible inquisitiveness and curiosity. She would not have us mourn, but rather remember with all appropriate appreciation the gift of her life.