Carol Benson Myers
June 14, 1931- January 17, 2020
Our bright and guiding light has left us. Carol Myers passed away peacefully on January 17.
2020, after a short battle with lung cancer. Her loving family was by her side. Carol was long a
crusader for justice, and she worked tirelessly with Amnesty International and the Democratic
Party, where she served as a representative for District 3 and as Treasurer for the Putnam
County Democratic Party. She served as a Deacon and Elder at the First Presbyterian Church in
Yorktown. It was her great privilege and joy to serve as a liturgist on many Sundays. She
enjoyed many study groups at the church.
A teacher by profession, Carol earned her master’s degree in American Literature from New
Paltz State University in 1970, while teaching full time and raising 4 children. She loved reading
and libraries and was involved in numerous book groups. She was a long-time weekly volunteer
at the Brewster Library, where she helped initiate the Friends of the Brewster Library and was
an officer for many years. Favorite authors included Reynolds Price, William Faulkner, Wallace
Stegner and TC Boyle.
She loved classical music and opera and was a volunteer and supporter of the Taconic Opera
from its inception in 1998. Carol was an accomplished pianist.
She leaves a beautiful legacy of yelling, “Love ya” to strangers and shouting whenever she saw a
cardinal at the bird feeder. She taught her family to love books, cats, coffee, the Sunday NYT
Crossword, classical music, New York City, and the importance of the need for advocacy for
what you believe in, particularly women’s rights and equality for all. She always said she had
only one rule for her family, “Never do anything that hurts anyone else.” She truly lived by that
rule. Compassion and acceptance were her superpowers and she will be missed beyond
measure.
Carol’s blessed and fulfilled life will be cherished by her four children Peter, Cheryl, Jim (Cristi)
and Sue and eight grandchildren Justin (Jess), Zach (Katie), Whitney (Chad), Mylise (Connor),
Annie (Austin), Olivia, Maddie and Jill and four great grandchildren, Natalie, Lucy, Aspen and
Violet.
A service and reception to celebrate her life will be held at a date TBD at the First Presbyterian
Church in Yorktown.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to the First Presbyterian Church of Yorktown
(memo: Carol Myers) in support of youth mission trips, 2880 Crompond Rd, Yorktown Heights,
NY 10598