Obituary of Carol Catherine Maurer

Carol Catherine "Kirk" Maurer, beloved watercolor artist, weaver, wife, sister, mother and grandmother was released and restored Monday afternoon at Valley Hospital with her family and her Pastor by her side after battling pneumonia and other health complications which began shortly after celebrating her 77th birthday on March 9th. Her faith was strong as she faced death fearlessly with prayer. Carol was born in 1938 to Agnes and Gwynne Kirkpatrick in Glendale, California and she grew up in a family of artists and musicians in the shadow of Hollywood where her father worked as an advertising Art Director. She had fond memories of visiting movie sets and meeting famous actors while being inspired by her father to become an artist. After graduating from Hoover High School in Glendale, her family moved to Westport, Connecticut and Carol attended Green Mountain College, then the University of Connecticut. During a Pi Phi sorority event at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute she met a metallurgical engineering student, her future husband, William E. Maurer. After graduating in 1961 with majors in textiles, design and art history, Carol pursued a career in the arts, landing a job in New York City at Conde Nast's House and Garden magazine as an Editorial Assistant. She moved to Greenwich Village, next door to the Salmagundi Club on 5th Avenue where she studied watercolors with Bruce Stevenson. At that time she also studied weaving textile design with Jack Lenor Larson and Lili Blumenau. Carol and Bill married in 1963 and moved to Albany, Oregon where she did freelance interior design, became a partner in The Clark Galleries and won a Civic Improvement Award for her restoration of their 1902 farmhouse. Carol's weaving talent enabled her to provide columbian alloy mesh filters for the Apollo Space Mission. Carol continued her education in the arts, studying with Norwegian textile artist Brit Fuglevaag before moving back East, settling in Mahwah, New Jersey where they raised their two children. Carol was a prolific artist, inspired to paint watercolors of her favorite places: the waves in Laguna Beach, California, the fall colors of Rochester, Vermont, the gardens in Paris, France and the sunlight through the leaves in her own backyard. She displayed her work in local galleries, libraries and on greeting cards, and enjoyed sharing her work with her friends at Salute to Women in the Arts. She would describe her abstract work with vivid colors as reflecting her spiritual journey. She had a strong personal faith which guided her through a lifetime of health issues that began as a child, from 100% recovery from a cerebral aneurysm, to struggles with bi-polar disorder. The last entry in her prayer journal from March 17th was "I'm in God's hands." Carol is survived by Bill, her loving husband of 52 years, brother and sister-in-law Lee and Margo and nephew Ryan Kirkpatrick, daughter Lillian and soon-to-be son-in-law Patrick Murphy, son Eric and daughter-in-law Angela Macias, and two grandchildren, Tyler and Melody. A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday June 6 at 2:00 at Highlands Presbyterian Church, 270 Franklin Turnpike, Allendale, New Jersey. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to the Highlands Presbyterian Church Organ Restoration Fund in Carol's name. Arrangements are by Vander Plaat Funeral Home, (vpfh.com), Wyckoff.