Carolyn Kellerman

Carolyn L. Kellerman

September 7, 1941 – September 10, 2021

Carolyn passed away peacefully at home on September 10, 2021 caused by complications associated from her 20 year battle with Parkinson’s Decease.

She was preceded in death by her parents Virginia and joseph, sister Mary (Robert), brother Joseph (Debbie, Wanda), niece Karin, and first husband John (who died during brain surgery two years after their marriage). She is survived by her current husband of 51 years Marcus E Kellerman, her brother James (Joan), her brother-in-law Michael, and numerous nieces, nephews, grand nieces, and grand nephews.

Carol was born September 7, 1941 in Chicago, IL. Three years later she moved with her family to the Chicago Suburb of Platine, IL. She graduated from Platine High School following in the footsteps her older sister and 2 older and 2 older brothers. She graduated with a BA in Modern Languages from KNOX College. After John’s death she returned to school and earned a MA in Spanish through a combined program with New York University and the University of Madrid. Mark and Carol met on a yacht owned by a mutual friend of their parents while visiting their parents in Florida during the 1969 Christmas Holidays. Carol returned to teaching at Platine High and Mark returned to his job with IBM in El Paso. They stayed in touch and managed to get together most weekends. They married on August 22, 1970, and Carol moved to El Paso. She enrolled in UTEP taking 21 credit hours to obtain a library certification, then took a job as a head librarian at Gadsden, NM High School.

When Mark was transferred to Santa Fe in 1978 Carol was able to get a job as a Head Librarian at Santa Fe High School. She was particularly pleased to receive the AASL/SIRS Nation Intellectual Freedom Award in 1986 for her stand in not removing two books from the library as requested by one of her library co-workers. (Two school committees reviewed the books and found no reason to ban them.) When IBM again transferred Mark to Washington, DC. In 1986, Carol used the opportunity to obtain a MS in library and information Science from Simmons College. She was able to find part time library work in the Montgomery County Public School System. In 1990, Carol received a call that the head Librarian job was again open at Santa Fe High School. Would she be interested in returning? IBM at that time was planning on dispersing some of its reps to other locations to reduce travel costs and Mark volunteered to return to the South west and the Kellerman’s returned to Santa Fe at end of the 2001-2002 school year when she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Decease.

Carol loved to travel and with Mark visited 48 countries across 6 continents and 26 tourist destinations. She liked to sew, needlepoint, knit, and loved her cats and dogs. She was active in several professional organizations including the American Library Association, the American Association of School Librarians, the ALA Intellectual Freedom Roundtable, the Maryland Educational Media Organization (while in DC) and Alpha Delta Kappa – Beta Chapter of which she was president for Two Years.

Donations in Carol’s memory may be made to 1. Paw and Stripes, 617 Truman St., Albuquerque, NM 87110: 2, Assistance Dogs of the West, PO Box 31027, Albuquerque, NM 87594: or 3. St Saint Jude Children’s Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. Carol will be missed by all her family and friends who knew her. She has been cremated per her request. A Memorial service will be held at Lutheran Church of Servant located at 2481 Legacy Ct, Santa Fe, NM 87507 on Monday, October 25, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. as well as video cast via Zoom.