OBITUARY HAZEL S CARLOUGH July 3, 1920 – October 5, 2018 Hazel Vida (Smith) Carlough, 98, passed away peacefully, surrounded by loved ones, on October 5, 2018. She was born in “The Bronx”, NY to the late William and Eliza Jane (Watson) Smith, natives of Scotland, on July 3, 1920. She was the widow of the late Thornton Lee Carlough with whom she spent a lifetime, having met him at age 8 in 3rd grade.
They grew up in Woodlawn Heights, the then village-like section of the North Bronx, graduating from PS 19 as class valedictorian, and later from Evander Childs High School. A graduate of Drake Business School, she worked as an executive secretary at Royal Liverpool Insurance. Hazel married Thornton, then a B-24 pilot, on November 6, 1943 in their home church, Woodlawn Heights Presbyterian.
During WW II, she edited a morale-boosting local newsletter, “Over Here”, printing letters from local servicemen and, in turn, providing them with news from the home front. Blessed by Thornton’s return home after a harrowing combat service and being MIA, they moved to East Hartford where they resided until their deaths. Hazel became a stay-at-home mom, her family everything to her.
Active in many capacities at Hockanum Methodist Church, Scouts, Meals on Wheels, and Well Child Clinic, she was honored by the Town of East Hartford for her work. Hazel loved gardening, attending grandchildren’s activities, travel to ancestral Scotland and throughout the United States and Canada, especially Cape Cod and New Hampshire. She was known for her grace, generosity, and scrupulous honesty.
She was a voracious reader, had a quick wit and wonderful sense of humor, and felt that “a good cup of tea fixes everything”. She was predeceased by her parents, a baby brother in Scotland, and sisters Margaret “Greta” Smith Kamenoff and Dora Smith Heden. She is survived by daughter Ellen Mickel and her husband Lawrence of Coventry and son Keith Carlough and his wife Robin of East Hartford.
She also leaves four grandchildren, Amy Carlough of Wethersfield, Sarah Carlough of Dacula, GA, Meredith Hallgren and her husband Wyatt of Oxford, and Todd Thornton Mickel and his wife Erin of Stamford, three great-grandchildren, Elin and Grayson Hallgren, and Harrison Mickel, two step-grandchildren, Susan Cunningham and her husband Peter of Waterford and Peter Mickel and his wife Olga of West Hartford, and two step great-granddaughters, Holly and Kelly Cunningham. In addition, she leaves a special cousin, Norma Tanneberger of Columbus, NJ, nieces Nancy Fahey and her husband Norb and Marge Suzio and her husband Frank of Meriden, nephew William Kamenoff and his wife Chris of Annapolis, MD, and many Carlough nieces and nephews including Dr. Kenneth Carlough of Westbrook as well as special loved friends Rita Spring, Lillian Person, and Rosemary Bottum. Calling hours will take place at the Glastonbury Funeral Home, 450 New London Turnpike, Glastonbury on Tuesday, October 9th from 4 to 7 P.M. A service in celebration of her life will be held on Wednesday, October 10th at 10AM at the New Covenant United Methodist Church, 16 Church Street, East Hartford.
Burial is private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the New Covenant United Methodist Church or to Shriners Hospitals for Children, 516 Carew St. Springfield, MA 01104. Hazel’s family would like to thank the staff of both the Salmon Brook Center and Masonicare Home Health and Hospice for their tender and devoted care.
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