OAKMONT, Pa. – Carolyn Anne Chrysler Albert, 89, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, June 7, 2022, surrounded by family and caregivers, at Woodside Memory Care Neighborhood in Longwood in Oakmont. The cause was complications of dementia.
Born in Columbus, daughter of Otis Rochelle Chrysler and Helen Stagg Chrysler, she grew up in Gahanna. She graduated from the University of Miami with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and was a member of Delta Gamma sorority.
She was introduced to Robert “Bob” Albert Jr., a young Bethlehem Steel executive, on a blind date in Columbus. The couple married on February 4, 1956, and had a loving marriage that lasted 63 years. They fostered three children over the next nine years and raised them as they moved over the years to Cleveland, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Mansfield and finally Youngstown.
Carolyn was a Junior League member and, while living in Youngstown, served on the board of the local Ronald McDonald House. She was an active patron of the Butler Institute of American Art and Riverside Gardens Fellows at Mill Creek MetroParks and a member of the Garden Club of Youngstown.
Carolyn started golfing in her mid-thirties, a decision that led to many wonderful friendships at Westbrook Country Club in Mansfield and Youngstown Country Club. She excelled in women’s golf associations, but enjoyed spending time with Bob and their friends, who golfed as a couple, while playing some of the best courses in the world. Carolyn also became an avid skier and introduced the sport as a family activity. Many unforgettable ski trips followed in Ellicottville, NY; Killington, Vermont; and Steamboat Springs, Colorado, to name a few.
She had a lot of fun playing paddle tennis with friends at the YCC and was quite competitive on the ping pong table at home, especially with her children and grandchildren. With the arrival of her grandchildren, “Nana” nurtured their love of books by reading to them from childhood and celebrating their academic achievements during her frequent visits. She also taught her grandchildren how to be ruthless competitors in Scrabble, euchre, and gin rummy. For the past few years, Carolyn and Bob have celebrated her 70th birthday in Paris and spent the winter in Naples, Florida, playing golf and entertaining friends old and new. Carolyn was a wonderful entertainer and cocktail hour was an evening tradition whether at home or while traveling. Carolyn has passed on much wisdom to her children and grandchildren about entertaining, etiquette, gardening, cooking, decorating, dinner parties, pie making, flower arranging and centerpieces. She could make a pretty bouquet using Queen Anne’s lace from the roadside or any flower she finds in her garden. Carolyn took her role seriously as a member of the House Committee of the Youngstown Country Club, where for many years she created beautiful holiday decorations for members and guests.
Carolyn was always impeccably dressed. His eyes were a sparkling blue (his favorite color) that could stop you in your tracks. Some of “Carolyn’s” favorite things include Dairy Queen, marshmallows, the movie “La La Land” and the jazz ballad “Here’s That Rainy Day”, recorded by Barbra Streisand. She was bright, quick-witted, loving and full of life; her presence was memorable and she truly touched everyone she met. This was no more evident than during her final year in dementia care, where she entertained her neighbors and caregivers with her fashionable hats and infectious laughter, her true essence for the sake of all.
Carolyn is survived by her three children, Judy (Tony Fiorillo), Tom (Sandy Slater) and Steve (Jim Bozzi); five grandchildren, Matthew, Ben and Greg Fiorillo, and Madeline and Claire Albert; his brother, Dr. Charles Chrysler; niece, Melanie Slade; and his nephew, Michael Chrysler.
She was predeceased by her husband, Bob Albert, in 2019.
A memorial service is scheduled for November 2022.
Arrangements are handled by Thomas M. Smith Funeral Home & Crematory, Ltd., Blawnox, Pennsylvania.
Memorial donations may be directed to the Presbyterian Senior Care Foundation, 1215 Hulton Road, Oakmont, PA 15139.
The family would like to thank the wonderful staff at the Woodside and Brookwood neighborhoods of Hanna HealthCare Center, Longwood in Oakmont.
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