In Memoriam
Caroline Marie Dobbs
COOPERSTOWN—Caroline Dobbs was a loving mother, friend and wife. She was born in Chicago on July 25, 1935, in the heart of the Great Depression, to Worthley and Margaret Burbank. Caroline and her brother, Worth, grew up spending most of their time in Chicago with a few years in St. Louis and long summers visiting their father’s relatives in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Caroline graduated from Kelvyn Park High School in 1953 and went on to follow her passion for art at the Chicago Art Institute.
Caroline met Charlie Dobbs through a mutual friend. The two fell in love, got married in 1967, and in 1971 had their son, Christopher. For several years the family split their time between Chicago and a small farm in Greencastle, Indiana. However, Charlie’s career would take them around the country to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and California. In 1984, the family returned to Connecticut to live in Ridgefield, where Caroline and Charlie resided until 2004 when the couple retired to their summer place in Cooperstown, New York.
There were several jobs that Caroline loved throughout her life. One was working for Bell Telephone in Chicago. Another was at the headquarters for Deloitte and Touche in Wilton, Connecticut. At each of these she enjoyed her colleagues and made long-lasting friends. However, it might be the cottage industry that she started while living in Dover, Massachusetts in the mid-1970s that filled her with the most joy. Her home carrot cake business took off, catering to some of the finest restaurants in the region. The mouthwatering cake with cream cheese frosting was a sensation and her son fondly remembers losing a few fingertips as he was put to work grating carrots.
In 2004, the couple got remarried at the Deep River Congregational Church where their son, Chris, and his wife, Jennifer, had married two years before. From 2004 through 2019, Caroline embraced the Cooperstown lifestyle, getting involved with the Glimmerglass Opera, attending women’s clubs, studying art, enjoying the Fenimore Art Museum and The Farmers’ Museum events and exhibits, attending Christ Church, and much more.
A stroke and vascular dementia impacted her last few years, but through it all, Caroline remained true to herself—a compassionate person who always wanted to make people feel good. Even in the last few days of her life, she repeatedly said, “I love you,” to those around her.
In the early hours of the morning on October 2, 2022, Caroline passed away peacefully at an assisted living facility in Bozeman, Montana where she had taken up residence to be close to her son, daughter-in-law, and grandsons Zach and Liam.
Caroline is at peace. She now joins her husband, mother, father, brother, grandparents, and many friends. This world is a little less magical without her. Sadness and loneliness are unbearable as we say goodbye to a loving mother, grandmother, and friend. All our love. Until we meet again.
A small memorial service will be held for Caroline at Christ Church, 46 River Street, Cooperstown, New York at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 26. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that those who so desire make a contribution to Christ Church or Fenimore Art Museum.
