Carolyn Alice Page

Carolyn Alice Hackmann was born in Rahway, New Jersey on October 19, 1934 and died on March 2, 2021 in Denver, CO. She was the oldest child of Amandus and Ethel Hackmann.

Carolyn lived her early years in Rahway, Linden, and Cranford, New Jersey. She attended Cranford High School where she graduated in June of 1952. Carolyn was an excellent student. Excelling in typing, steno, English, geography, and history. She was a good athlete.

Upon graduation she was hired as a secretary by Kemper Insurance. Having learned everything she could at Kemper, she secured a job with Sinclair Oil in New York City. The Big Apple was perfect! Carole loved the excitement that NYC offered such as ice skating in Rockefeller Center and seeing Marylyn Monroe standing over a subway grate having her skirt flying over her head for the movie shoot of The Seven Year Itch.

A little bit about Carole. Every evening we received The Elizabeth Daily Journal, and every evening you could find Carole laying on the living room floor with the newspaper spread out in front of her. Yes, like our mother, Carole should have gone to college.

One day Carole walked into the house with a pair of skis, poles and boots. Our grandmother, Hulda, lite-up with a big smile and said, “In Sweden, I used to ski to school.” Carole became an avid skier.

 Another good memory was when she was sitting at the kitchen table with a stack of papers in front of her. I asked, “What are you doing?” Her answer was, “I’m applying for a job with the Federal Government.” She didn’t fallow through because “They asked too many personal questions.”

Carole and Brad met in Cranford, NJ. They fell in love and were married on February 14, 1959. Brad shared Carole’s love of skiing and they purchased land in Killington, VT; built a chalet and put everyone they knew on skis. Both Carole and Brad were Black Diamond expert skiers.  In the winter of 1982, Carole and I got to ski together. I followed her down the Blue Square (intermediate) trail. She was poetry in motion, graceful turns, total control and excellent form.

Carole taught me how to drive, jitterbug. She and Brad came to my rescue after I made the decision to get out of a bad marriage. We lived together in Cranford. They were life savers! At that time, Carole was working as an executive secretary at The J. B. Williams Company, and told me there was an opening and to apply for a job. I did, and got the job.

Carole and Brad never were able to have children of their own. But, in time, they took on the responsibility of Brad’s nephews: Raymond, Harry and John Page, who were teenagers! Yikes! In 1971 they adopted John, Daniel, and Elaine.

There aren’t too many couples who can say they raised two families and do it well, but they did. They had the right stuff. Raising these two families immensely enriched their lives. I know they enriched my life and the lives of my sons, Michael and Mark.

Joan Hackmann-Gaul

In 1979 Carole and Brad moved their family of 5 to Denver, CO. She continued her career as an executive assistant. She also continued the tradition of teaching everyone how to ski. As the years moved on, grandchildren became their focus and their joy. The helped raise another generation with love of sports, encouragement to do anything they wanted, and babysitting whenever possible. Her love of travel, unfortunately, never got her out of the United States, but you could find travel magazines and books through out the house. 

John, Daniel, Elaine

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Carolyn Alice Page, please visit our floral store.