In Memory of Carol Denise Anderson VandeWater

Obituary

Carol Denise Anderson VandeWater, 65, of Utica, passed away on Friday, April 1, 2022 with her family by her side.

She was born March 10, 1957, a daughter of Joanne C. (Schafer) Anderson and the late Delbert R. Anderson in Port Clinton Ohio. Carol graduated Port Clinton HS in 1975 and the University of Toledo in 1979 earning a Bachelor of Education. In 1984, Carol received her Master of Science in Education from the State University of NY at Cortland.

Carol's teaching career began in Fremont Ohio. After moving to the Utica NY area, she taught at the Blessed Sacrament and Sacred Heart Schools. Carol then began a 20 year career with the NYS Dept of corrections as a teacher helping incarcerated students achieve a GED high school equivalent diploma.

After a chance meeting in 1978 in Toledo Ohio, Carol married Richard J. VandeWater in Port Clinton, Ohio on August 23, 1980. After four years living in Frankfort, NY, they settled in North Utica and raised three daughters.

Carol enjoyed camping, hiking, kayaking and snow shoeing, had a love of nature, and was a superb gardener of flowers. In later years, she spent many nights with her husband, Rich, gazing at the stars from the family boat on 7th Lake, and was his gracious co-host of many backyard movie parties. Carol also enjoyed traveling, especially a tour of Italy in 2019, and other locations within the US including Arches National Park, Gettysburg, PA, and Hollywood.

Carol's grandmother taught her to sew and cross-stitch. She carried a love for these hobbies her entire life. With these skills, Carol created her own wedding gown as well as cherished clothing and costumes for her children and grandchildren. Examples of her beautiful stitchwork adorn the walls of her home.

Carol's greatest love, however, was for her family. She had an unwavering dedication to her husband Rich, her three daughters and, most recently, her four grandchildren whom she loved dearly.

She is survived by her loving husband, Richard VandeWater of Utica; mother, Joanne Anderson; daughters Lindsay Beddoe (and her husband Jeffrey) of Bridgewater, MA, Cathryn VandeWater (and her husband Alan Lin) of Utica, Rachel Nahumck (and her husband Stephen) of Utica; grandchildren Julia and Madeline Beddoe, Alice & Crosby Nahumck; sister Karen Millsaps and her husband Dan. She was predeceased by her father Delbert R. Anderson.

The funeral will be on Thursday, April 7, at 10:00 am at the St Paul's Roman Catholic Church, 1807 Bedford St, Rome where a Funeral Mass will be celebrated. The family will greet everyone following the Mass. Interment will be in Holy Trinity Cemetery. Arrangements are with the Friedel, Williams & Edmunds Funeral and Cremation Services, 13 Oxford Rd., New Hartford.

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the CJD foundation in Akron Ohio to help with research toward a cure for this rare neurological disease. cjdfoundation.org.