CAROLYN S. HEILWEIL Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Our family deeply mourns the loss of our dear wife, mother, and grandmother, Carolyn S. Heilweil, born Carolyn Bernice Shapiro. Carolyn passed away suddenly on December 21, 2020, at the age of 81. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, Mel; her son, Victor; her daughter, Rona; her daughter-in-law, Ann; her son-in-law, Seth; and her grandchildren, Tasha, Jordan, Anika, and Alec. She is also survived by her brother, Mark Shapiro, and sister-in-law, Maria Esther Shapiro. Carolyn was born July 20, 1939, in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from Erasmus Hall High School (class of ‘56) and Barnard College (class of ‘60). At Barnard, she chaired “Greek Games” her freshman year and beat the sophomore class, a rarity. Carolyn married Melvin Heilweil on June 12, 1960. They lived in Wappingers Falls, NY, then Poughkeepsie, NY, and then moved to The Cascades in Boynton Beach, FL. Carolyn held many professional positions throughout her career: first grade teacher, personnel consultant, vocational evaluator, director of education for the Mental Health Association, and program director and executive director of the American Cancer Society, where she oversaw a staff of eight as well as hundreds of volunteers. In addition to serving as president of B’nai B’rith Women, she held volunteer positions with the Older Woman’s League, Mid-Hudson Hebrew Day School, Jewish Community Center of Poughkeepsie, Rotary Club, and Literacy Volunteers of America. Carolyn was very active in The Cascades. She served on the Tennis Club Board of Directors, the Culture Club Leadership Team, and the Document Review Committee. She was also the Rules and Regulations coordinator and the Clubs and Organizations administrator for the Forum. Carolyn was known for her moving and personal poetry, or “verse,” which she wrote since she was six years old, amassing a collection of more than 150 poems, mostly written for family and friends. She studied and played piano for many years and loved music and theater, especially Broadway shows. She was an active tennis, bridge, and Mah Jongg player. She and Mel loved to travel and enjoyed numerous trips worldwide. She spent summers with Mel in Utah and the Berkshires, where she enjoyed nature, hiking, and cultural events. Carolyn intensely loved her family and was passionate about her friendships. She was devoted to keeping her family and friends close in her life and had a reputation for being a masterful organizer of events and activities. She was truly an amazing person and will be greatly missed by all. A private funeral service will be held at 12:15 pm on December 23, 2020. A virtual event celebrating her life is being planned for the near future. Donations may be made in Carolyn’s name to either: a) Palm Beach County Food Bank at https://www.pbcfoodbank.org/ b) Pap Corps (cancer research) - Please make check payable to Pap Corps and mail to Irene Katz, 7530 Granville Ave., Boynton Beach, FL 33437.