Carol Kramer

1929 - 2020

Carol May Kramer
Carol May Kramer passed away on Thursday, May 7, 2020, at the age of 90, in Sunnyvale, California. Carol was born in Norwalk, Connecticut, on December 23, 1929, the daughter of the late Gustave and Flora Belle (Harrison) Kramer. Carol grew up in Weston, Connecticut, with her three sisters on their family apple farm. She graduated from Staples High School in Westport in 1948, and attended the University of Connecticut from which she graduated in 1952 with a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology. Always stylish and energetic, Carol was an independently successful businesswoman before it was fashionable. After graduating, Carol moved to New York City where she worked as a lab technician in the hematology department of Cornell Medical Center before embarking on her career working in Research and Development for major fragrance companies, blazing a trail for younger women in a male dominated industry. Carol started in the product research lab at Avon at Rockefeller Center in New York City in 1958, afterwards becoming a Senior Personal Product Evaluator for the Amway corporation in Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1970. Having made a name for herself in the fragrance and cosmetic industries, Carol moved to Chicago, Illinois, in 1979 where she again worked in the Research and Development of new products for the popular Jovan perfume company. The early 1980s brought Carol to Redwood City, California, where she was employed with the Meer Corporation before transitioning to the position of Botanical Sales Representative for the Shaklee Corporation. Throughout her life Carol was generous with her friends and family, often treating nieces and nephews to unforgettable weekends in New York City, which included Broadway plays and Yankees games. Carol remained in California near family, but always retained a bit of her New York City bon vivant flair. Her family and friends will attest to Carol's impeccable taste in fashion and art, her reliable correspondence, her love of travel, and her lifetime subscription to the New Yorker Magazine. Carol is survived by her many loving nephews and nieces and a bevy of devoted lifelong friends. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Miriam Kramer Johnson, Joan Kramer DeLuca, and Marguerite (Peggy) Kramer Mortensen. Carol will be buried in the Kramer family plot at Willowbrook Cemetery in Westport, Connecticut. Because of current social distancing considerations there are no immediate plans for a memorial gathering. To extend a personal message to Carol's family, please visit: www.boutonfuneralhome.com.