Volunteer Extraordinaire

By Sandy Balayan

May 2025

Carol Lombardo will leave a large void in our community when she moves closer to her family in Pennsylvania. After over twenty years in Otis, it is time to downsize and simplify, and join the family who miss her and love her. Wanting to be close to them, but not wanting to leave her life here has been weighing on Carol for a few years and she has decided now is the right time. “I’ve loved it here and I leave with a heavy heart, but it is time. For my last move I wanted to leave Staten Island and find a nice place to live after retirement, which was the impetus to build my house here in Otis. The lower cost of living and the proximity to Tanglewood were the factors that made me head here. I love it and wish I didn’t have to leave, but as I get older, I also want to be near my family and spend quality time with them,” says Carol.

Carol Lombardo. Photo courtesy of Carol Lombardo

Carol, you will be missed. Not just by all of us at the Otis Observer, which you are a founding member of and serve on the board as secretary, but by the many organizations you have volunteered for while living here. Carol has served on the Cultural Council where her main project was the yearly craft fair, but she has also been instrumental in reviewing grants and fundraising for the group.

Serving nine years as an elected member of the School Committee, four years as chairperson, has been interesting and trying at times, but the bottom line was always wanting what was best for the kids.

She has been that friendly face at all town elections as Election Warden and assistant under Lenny Terranova for many years. Carol said, “The best part of being present for elections has been getting to meet pretty much everyone in town.”

The biggest hole Carol will leave is at her church, St. Mary of the Lakes, where she has set up mass as the pastor rushes from Lee to Otis for each Saturday evening mass, and as a Eucharist Minister and doing pretty much anything and everything.

Then there are the many things Carol doesn’t do publicly, but we know she is doing many amazing things on her own, especially toward her dream of peace by uniting people internationally. On and on the list goes, but Carol’s true modesty prevents her from further blowing her own horn. She was loathe to let the Observer blow it, but we felt it was the least we could do for this wonderful human being.

Let us use Carol as an inspiration to volunteer and give back. “I believe you can enhance your community by participating. We live in such a lovely place and volunteering is a way to give back. I will truly miss Otis tucked away in the woods; a perfect welcoming community where everyone says hello and is friendly. It has been a wonderful place to live.”

We will miss you Carol and know any organization that you choose to join in Pennsylvania will be lucky to have someone like you involved.