Meet Your Neighbor: Carol Lally
By Bruce McDonald
From time to time we feature interviews with our Southern Gables neighbors, to help us all get to know and appreciate each other. If you know a neighbor you’d like to have featured, contact Christy Cerrone, information below.
Carol has lived in Southern Gables for 32 years. The part of the neighborhood where she lives was fairly new when she and her family moved here, but was already complete and established. Everything looked fresh and new, with landscaping still getting its start, and she was impressed immediately with the friendliness and acceptance of all the neighbors.
When we asked Carol what a few things are that she likes most about the Southern Gables community, she answered right away, “This is a great and unique neighborhood! Before Covid-19 we had neighborhood luncheons every month, Southern Gables Neighborhood Night Out, the Sustainable Southern Gables gatherings, etc. I look forward to when we can return to these get-togethers.” For the last six years, Carol has been the organizer of the monthly Neighborhood luncheons. She started the activity, back then, at the suggestion of our neighbor and City Councilmember Dana Gutwein. Each month she arranged for nearby restaurants to host our group of 12 to 20 people, and until we had to call a break due to you-know-what, she pulled every one off flawlessly.
Carol graduated with a Master’s degree in social work (MSW) from Tulane University. Always an active athlete, Carol frequently participated in running races for all kinds of causes. She was working for the Gordon Park Hospital, near New Orleans, as a social worker when she was participating in a 10K race. She suffered a stroke during that race, and it’s fair to say it gave her quite a challenge to overcome. “The rest of the story,” as they say, is the wonderful part that brought her into our lives here in Southern Gables.
After 17 years as a social worker, and then the stroke and ensuing physical therapy to maximize her mobility, Carol and her family came to Colorado. They initially came to be near her sister who lived here, and for her husband’s work. Her sister and brother-in-law Gail and Jack Smith were Realtors, and played a big part in helping her decide on this neighborhood. They lived nearby and had an inside track on choosing the best place to live. Carol’s children got established in Green Gables Elementary and Bear Creek High School, and Southern Gables has been home for Carol ever since.
Neighbors getting to know one another, Carol reminds us, is a wonderful thing. When we asked her if she had a favorite memory with her Southern Gables neighbors, it seemed like it was too hard a question, with too many answers to choose. “I remember with fondness all of the overall memories I have from living here.”
We asked Carol, “What is the most neighborly experience you’ve had or seen in our neighborhood?” Her reply was immediate. “Doug & Judy Whitten are some of the most neighborly people I know. Doug has been the president of the Neighborhood Association for six years. He is the most caring, helpful, supportive, and kind person. I see Doug outside and he is spraying my weeds. Thank you, Doug!”
For twelve years Carol volunteered as an usher at the Lakewood Cultural Center, and recommends that as a terrific way of supporting the community. Now, having retired from that, her hobbies are staying in touch with her grandchildren, her Precept Bible Study, study on her computer. reading, and watching some TV.
Is there anything else you want us to know about you? “I have one daughter, Melissa and she has two daughters, Amber and Jaden. Then, I have one son, Brian and he has Siobhan, Seamus, Meave and Tiarnan.”
There’s one more thing to note in closing: Carol says she won’t move any more. This is her forever home. With her wide range of faithful friends and all she has done for the community, it’s easy to see why.
Contact [email protected] to nominate a candidate for the “Meet Your Neighbor” series.
