A gifted teacher and violinist, Carol Lawrence Birdsall died unexpectedly on November 17, 2020. Carol was born in New York City on August 14, 1951. She grew up in New London, CT, where she attended the Williams School. She went on to earn a B.A. in English Literature from Harvard University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. [Editor's Note: Carol entered Swarthmore with the Class of 1093 and transferred to Harvard after one year.]  Carol taught 4th and 5th grade at the Louisa May Alcott School in Concord, MA. During that time, she earned the coveted National Teacher Certification and traveled to China on a research grant. Her crowning achievement in education was the staging of full-blown productions of Shakespeare's plays, adapted for elementary school students. Over the course of her teaching career, she used each production as a vehicle for cross-disciplinary learning, real world education, and self-actualization. In reading letters from former students, one can see that these theater experiences were pivotal in these students' later successes in a variety of fields.

Carol was an accomplished, classically trained violinist. She attended the Yale Music School in New Haven, CT. She performed with the Boston Philharmonia, numerous string quartets and trios, as well as the pit orchestra for musical productions of the Concord Community Theater. She also loved to sing with the Concord Chorus.

Carol was a shining light for her family, her close friends, and her community. Her fierce intelligence, her passion for teaching, and her deep appreciation of the arts inspired all around her. She found her own inspiration in the natural world, hiking the Long Trail, cycling in rural Vermont, and producing elaborate flower and vegetable gardens each year. She adored animals and cherished her relationships with her cats, Spenser and Julius, and especially, with her dog, Cordelia.

Carol is survived by her mother, Virginia O. Birdsall of Waterford, CT; her brother, Hugh Birdsall of Clinton, CT; her sister, Meredith Birdsall Cunningham of Concord; her nephew, Nathaniel Cunningham; and her nieces, Rachel and Emily Cunningham. Due to the current pandemic, funeral arrangements will be private. A Memorial Service to be held at First Parish in Concord, MA when COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

 

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