Carole Ann Marra

Carole Ann Marra, 70, died Thursday, November 19, at the Albany Medical Center Hospital, after a long and courageous battle with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, since the age of four. She was born in Fayetteville, North Carolina on October 15, 1945, the daughter of the late Harry W. L. Marra and Sara Rothermel Marra. She graduated from Vincentian High School in Albany in 1963, and received her bachelor’s degree in 1967 from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. She later earned Master’s degrees from the College of St. Rose, in education and communication disorders. Carole began her career as a teacher in the Mechanicville School District. After teaching for several years, she became a Speech-Language Pathologist at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, in Albany, NY, where she stayed until taking a position at the State Education Department, where she evaluated Special Education programs throughout the state of New York. She remained at this job for more than 30 years, until her retirement, in June, 2009. Carole was active throughout her lifetime in the Arthritis Foundation of Northeastern New York, and served as a member of it’s board. In 2011, she received the Arthritis Foundation Hero Award. for deserving “A Gold Medal, in the Olympics of life”. She was also active in the Guilderland Lions Club. Carole spent many summers with her family in Wells Beach, Maine, and loved to return there to rekindle the fond memories of her youth and beauty of the ocean landscape. She spent long and brave hours of medical therapy, surgeries and follow-up treatment at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She returned there often, never giving up hope for a better life and improvement for her condition. Carole was a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, who was an inspiration to all who met her, and she will be greatly missed. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her twin sister, Margaret Rose Gallivan. She is survived by her brothers, Harry W. Marra (Madeline), of Eugene, Oregon, James E. Marra, of Washington, D.C., and Frederick J. Marra (Cindy), of Loudonville. In addition to her brothers, she leaves nieces and nephews, Kerry Gallivan, Shannon Reo (Steve), Sean Gallivan (Lisa), Kourtney Oliver (Ron), Brendan Gallivan (Jamie), Christianne Marra, Andrew Marra, Natalie Marra and Jacob Marra, as well as 6 beloved great- nieces and nephews. Family and friends are invited to visiting hours, from 4 to 8 pm, on Monday, November 23, 2015, at the Marra Funeral Home in Cohoes, New York. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 9 am, Tuesday, November 24, 2015, at the Holy Trinity Church on Vliet Street in Cohoes. Internment will immediately follow, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Waterford, New York. In lieu of flowers, donations may by made to the Arthritis Foundation of Northeastern New York

Carole Ann Marra

October 15, 1945 - November 19, 2015