WYCKOFF – Carolyn Adams Donnelly, a longtime resident of Wyckoff, passed away peacefully at the Lutheran Home of Southbury, Connecticut on January 31, 2022, at age 81.

Carole with an "e" was born on July 21, 1940, in Passaic, New Jersey, to Stanley and Dorothy (Ashworth) Adams.  She grew up in Clifton, graduating from Clifton High School then attending Berkeley Secretarial School in East Orange and becoming a member of Delta Phi Epsilon.  After graduating from Berkeley, she joined Public Service Electric and Gas in Newark as a secretary to the Shareholder Relations Executive.

During the subsequent 35-years she enjoyed a successful career as a secretary / office administrator. She was fortunate to hold various positions at several large corporations in Northern New Jersey and Rockland County New York including Sharp Electronics, BMW, ITT as well as Orange and Rockland Utilities (O&R).  While employed as a Legal Secretary at O&R she was promoted to Executive Secretary to the Treasurer.  Before retiring in 2013, she worked for the CREF Unit of Rockland Health.

As a world traveler, she visited many countries preferring to travel via cruise ship. She was an avid bridge player and greatly enjoyed the company and friendship of her bridge group who played together for many, many years. Other favorite pastimes included reading, attending theater at the Paper Mill Playhouse and on Broadway, and watching professional tennis. Most of all, Carole cherished spending time with family and friends and her dogs Bebe and Maggie.

She was incredibly kind, caring and understanding.  Always the best listener, making things better with her sense of humor and sensical insight. She was thoughtful and always there for you no matter the circumstances.

As a wonderful mother and grandmother, she leaves her children Jill Donnelly-Devine (Shaun) from Oxford, Connecticut, and Jay (Marlisa) from New City, New York, and beloved grandchildren Patrick, Andrew, and Kate.  She is survived by her brother Kenneth Adams (Patricia) and niece Danielle Silldorff of Maryland.  Along with her parents, she had very fond memories of summers at the Jersey shore with her Aunt Marie and Uncle Harry Davies of Sea Girt, and special times with her lifelong childhood friend Jeri Lyle Viera of Point Pleasant who have predeceased her.

Carole will be forever in our hearts and greatly missed.  A celebration of life in her honor is being planned for the Spring. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in her memory to Ramapo-Bergen Animal Refuge, Inc. (rbari.org).

The family wishes to extend their sincere gratitude to the Lutheran Home of Southbury for the compassionate care they provided Carole with special heartfelt thanks to Rosalyn Turner for going above and beyond to make her last few years enjoyable.