Hanover, N.H. —
Caroline went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania before serving in the Red Cross in Norfolk, Va., during the second world war. She returned to Philadelphia after the war, where she began her career in social work at the Children’s Hospital. She went on to work for the Division of Community Services, Bureau of Mental Health, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in Harrisburg.
In 1955 Caroline married Howard A. Cressman and moved to Pennington, N.J., to begin their family. As she did wherever she lived, Caroline became an active member of the Pennington community. She worked hard for the Ladies Benevolent Society of Saint Matthews Church and enjoyed the role of faculty wife at The Pennington School where, for three years, she also taught Latin. For 7 years Caroline co-owned The Reynold’s Shop, which sold women’s clothing. In 1960 the Cressman family began spending summers in Thetford, Vt., where Caroline became a member of the board of the Thetford Historical Society and volunteered for the Thetford Hill Fair while entertaining a long list of family friends who frequently visited the Farmhouse.
After her husband Howard died in 1984, Caroline continued dividing her time between Pennington and Thetford, always finding ways to help less advantaged members of both communities. She became the first member of the new community at Kendal of Hanover when it opened in 1991, where she helped found the Clover Shop and served on the memorial committee, the flower committee, and the residents’ council for many years. She enjoyed the game of bridge and continued to score well in the weekly duplicate games at Kendal long past her 100th birthday. In 1994 Caroline married fellow Kendal resident Lorrin Riggs, and together they enjoyed 14 great years of travel and new and old friendships. She was delighted at age 82 to become a grandmother for the first time.
Throughout her more than 25 years living at Kendal, Caroline treasured so many friendships, some with lifelong friends who joined her to live there and many with people she first met after moving there. Caroline made a specialty of the art of living, exemplified by the attention to detail she showed in creating the beautiful places she lived. She chose the high road to avoid conflict. She took deep interest in education and gave generously to many to help them achieve their dreams. She was also guided by a very strong moral compass that was defined by compassion and founded on principles of fairness and honesty.
The family would like to express our deep gratitude to the staff and residents of Kendal for creating such a wonderful community and for the love and care Caroline received for so long while a Kendal resident.
Caroline is survived by her son, Fred Cressman of Thetford, and daughter, Nancy Cressman and husband, Alan Berolzheimer and grandson, Asa Berolzheimer of Norwich, Vt., and three step-granddaughters, Aviva, Shira, and Zemora Tevah. She was predeceased by her parents, her brother Julian, and both of her husbands.
A celebration of Caroline’s life will be held on Nov. 5 at the Thetford Hill Church at 2:30 p.m.