Granby, Carol M. (Croke) Kent of Granby, Ma died July 2^nd .  She was the wife of the late Charles W. Kent to whom she was married for 62 years.  She was the daughter of the late J. Sydney and Laurel (Boynton) Croke.  She was the mother of Charles H. Kent who predeceased her in 1983.  She leaves a daughter Betsy of Hillsboro, NH, sons; Thomas of Lyme, NH, John (Sandra) of Southampton, Michael (Kara) of Granby & Billerica, and Steven (Nancy) of Granby.

Born in Holyoke, she grew up in South Hadley first on Hadley Street then the family farm on Amherst Road.  She graduated from South Hadley High School in 1940 and then enrolled at the former Northfield School for Girls for one year before attending   Mt. Holyoke College.   She graduated in 1945 with a degree in English Language and Literature.   She later received her Master’s Degree in Educational Psychology with a concentration in learning disabilities from American International College in 1973.

To help with the war effort she moved to Washington DC and became a Cryptography Clerk with the Army Signal Corps.   In 1947, she married her husband Charlie in New York City and started her family eventually settling in Granby. Instrumental in forming the Granby Co-Operative  Kindergarten in 1953, she served as the vice-president until Granby Public Schools instituted public kindergarten.     She was the director and head teacher of the Westover Preschool Cooperative from 1960 to 1961.  She became an English teacher at Hopkins Academy in 1962.  She enjoyed her time in the classroom for 10 years. The Hadley School Department then granted her a sabbatical leave to study at A.I.C.  She became an educational psychologist with a certification as a school psychologist and returned to the Hadley schools for 15 more years in that capacity.     She also consulted in special education with the South Hadley School system and Wilbraham Monson Academy.

She volunteered at the VA Library in Leeds and was a longtime volunteer and trustee for the Granby Public Library. 

She enjoyed 20 winters in Florida during her retirement and traveled extensively with her husband across the U.S. and Europe.  In addition to her children, she leaves her sister Judith Strzempko, brother David “Butch” Croke, sisters in law Nancy Croke and Muriel Graham. Grandchildren Rose, Michael, Hazel, Carl, Kimberly, David, Jeffrey, Christina, Jack, Timothy, and Elizabeth.  She also leaves 3 great grandchildren, Amos, Safford and Alivia.  She was predeceased by her brother John S. Croke Jr. and daughter in law Janet Kent.

A private graveside service will be held at the Evergreen Cemetery in South Hadley.  In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Massachusetts National Cemetery Gift Fund, Connery Ave., Bourne, MA 02532