Carolyn May McCrae

Carolyn May McCrae passed away peacefully at her home in Altoona, Florida, on November 5, 2025, at the age of 95.

Born on September 26, 1930, in Barnet, Vermont, Carolyn graduated from St. Johnsbury Academy in 1948 and Lyndon State Teachers College in 1954, where she met and married the love of her life, Norman A. McCrae. This past June, they celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary, marking a lifetime of love and partnership. She later earned her Master of Education degree from the University of Vermont in 1980.

Carolyn dedicated 32 years to teaching elementary school in Newport, Vermont, primarily as a fourth-grade teacher. Her warmth, humor, and creativity touched generations of students and families.

She is survived by her sons Brian McCrae of Newport, VT, and Scott McCrae of The Villages, FL; grandchildren Madelyn, Alec, Fiona, and Fletcher McCrae; her brother Hazen McLaren of Myrtle Beach, SC; and beloved nieces and nephews.

After retiring in 1991, she and Norman moved to Leesburg, Florida, where they lived in the Highland Lakes community for 27 years. There, she enjoyed tennis, community events, and traveling with Norman throughout Europe, Asia, the South Pacific, and across the United States.

A true New Englander at heart, Carolyn was both creative and industrious. She painted landscapes, knitted afghans, braided rugs, sewed her own clothes, and could just as easily be found mowing lawns or picking apples.

In 1948, she was featured in Seventeen magazine as the "Seventeen Girl of the Year," honored for the wholesome Vermont life she embodied.

A private family service will be held at a later date. Donations in her memory may be made to a local school or library.