James Patrick Carolan Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

North Hampton – James (Jim) Patrick Carolan, of North Hampton, passed away at home on Thursday, August 10, 2017 surrounded by his beloved wife and children. He was born in the Bronx, NYC on March 23, 1943, to the late Patrick and Katherine (McGetrick) Carolan. Jim is survived by his wife of 23 years, Gail (VanHoy) Carolan of North Hampton; his sons and daughters-in-law John & Ses Carolan of Winston-Salem, NC and Casey & Amanda Vestal of Clemmons, NC; his daughters and sons-in-law, Klaus & Jennifer Carolan Larsen of Stamford, CT and Jeromey & Sunny Woodie of Winston-Salem; and his adored grandchildren, Ethan Carolan, Kristian & Patrick Larsen, and Dillon, Jake & Anna Vestal. He also leaves his sister, Mary Rodriguez of Rhinebeck, NY, his mother-in-law Freda (VanHoy) Casey of Hamptonville, NC as well as his nieces, Jean Leirey & Cara Rainboth, and his nephew Michael Rodriguez. Jim was predeceased by his parents and his brother-in-law, Raymond Rodriguez. Jim was raised in the Bronx and attended St. Agnes High School. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Fordham University in 1964. After graduation, Jim entered the Army as a commissioned officer and was stationed in Korea specializing in logistics. After the Army, Jim jumped into Corporate America with jobs at Hertz, Johnson & Johnson and Union Carbide. He ultimately settled into a long career at Lydall, Inc, a specialty materials business. His talent was in turning around troubled businesses and developing markets. He ran operations in NH, NY, NC and Saint Rivalain, France. After retirement from Lydall, Jim pursued a number of consulting roles, including Blue Grass Capital and his own Carolan and Company. In addition to his professional work, Jim volunteered his time. He served on the Board of the YMCA in Troy NY, and in ME, Jim served as Chair of Kent Stephen’s Stage Force, an acclaimed theater company in Kittery. He was most passionate about his 10 year service, with 5 of those as Chair, at the Monarch School of New England, a school serving children and young adults with significant disabilities located in Rochester, NH. Jim loved Gail and their big blended family. Jim and Gail met in NC, married in 1994 and relocated to the Seacoast of NH in 1998. He loved to have his home filled with children, grandkids, nieces and nephews. The family unit grew considerably with the deep roots that Jim and Gail planted in New Hampshire. Jim was blessed with great friendships. Born a block from Yankee Stadium, Jim developed a life-long love affair with the Yankees. Travel was another of his great passions, and he and Gail avidly embraced adventure. They enjoyed researching and planning long “sits” in numerous destinations with favorites being, Spain, Morocco, and Vietnam. Paris was always a go-to and a trek to Machu Picchu will be remembered as the most challenging. In addition, Jim was an avid reader, hiker, biker and gardener. Services will be held at St. Andrews by the Sea, in Rye, NH at 11:00 am on Saturday August 19th. A reception will follow immediately afterwards at Atlantic Grill. If desired, memorial donations may be made to the Monarch School of New England or Rockingham VNA & Hospice.

James Patrick Carolan

March 23, 1943 - August 10, 2017