CAROLINE BRAGDON

1964 - 2022

Caroline Margaret Bragdon  
Caroline was born in Washington, DC on November 2, 1964. She accompanied her parents on foreign-service assignments in Jakarta, Indonesia, and Brussels, Belgium. In Brussels, she attended Ecole Singelijn, where she received a strong grounding in the French language. She would later put it to good use, earning a BA and a Master's degree in French Studies. At age six, she asked to have piano lessons, and quickly made progress. As she did so, she decided she would like voice lessons as well. A pile of songbooks accompanied our family car trips around Europe. She wrote poetry and lengthy essays in both French and English our favorite was "La Vie d'un Homard" ("A Lobster's Life") had many friends, and was a happy young person. The only thing which appeared to give her trouble was "le cheval", the vaulting horse in gym class, which she loathed. In her teenage years she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, an intractable mental illness. At the time she was diagnosed, the illness was less well understood than it is now, and it was difficult to find medications that would help her live as a productive member of society. With modern medications, changes to insurance policies that give parity of treatment to mental illness, and her own resolute spirit, she was able to complete her studies and live happily in the local community. Great credit is due to the staff of Clarendon House, who have supported Caroline throughout the years. Clarendon House is a rehabilitation program in Arlington County that assists people with serious mental illnesses. Caroline's sunny nature and gentle kindness won her many friends. She loved cats, music, and fashion, and leaves behind her beloved partner of 28 years, Scott Brannon, her sister, Dorothy Terrell, brothers, Charles Bragdon and Douglas Bragdon and her mother, Patricia Bragdon. She died suddenly at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington on January 24, 2022. Donations in her memory can be sent to The Friends of Clarendon House, which is a non-profit group made of family and friends of those with mental illness, as well as other volunteers, all seeking to support Clarendon House in its excellent work Friends of Clarendon House, P.O. Box 40395 Arlington, VA. 22204-9998 A memorial service for Caroline will be held in the spring, Covid permitting.