Polly Ann Carnright

Polly Ann Carnright died quietly in the night Wednesday, Sept. 4, at the age of 88.

She was born May 4, 1936, in Catskill, New York, to Polly and Ansell Alberga and, despite battling dementia for the last four years, she lived a pretty great life.

Raised in Round Top, New York, Polly attended SUNY New Paltz, planning to be an art teacher, but instead spent 26 years as a preschool teacher extraordinaire. She was known for her amazing cookie-making skills, artistic abilities including quilting and sewing and anything else she put her hands to. She loved to read, browse flea markets and was always game for any art project, motorcycle ride or good road trip.

She married Palmer James Carnright in 1958. They made their way from New York to Candia, N.H., where she spent more than 20 years raising a family before moving to Manchester, then, in 2003, to Palm Bay, Florida, where one-third of the family had already congregated.

She is survived by her sons, Jeffrey Carnright and Michael Carnright and his wife, Barbara, all of Florida; daughter, Christine Stevens and her husband, Richard, of Massachusetts; granddaughter, Alison Finlay; and great-granddaughters, Emma and Olivia of Virginia. She is also survived by sisters, Elaina Alberga and her husband, Mark, Diane Alberga and Ariel Martin; and brother, Cyril Alberga and his wife, Sandy; along with many nieces and nephews.

She is predeceased by her husband and by her brother, Ansell Alberga.

There is no planned service as she would have hated that. Instead, the family will do what we do best: gather, eat, drink, laugh and swap stories -- and probably tears -- in her honor.

In lieu of flowers, we urge you to support your local library, bake with your kids or plant a garden -- all things she loved -- or make a donation to your local Alzheimer's or dementia foundation.