Carolyn Kalk Snow passed away peacefully at home in Fernandina Beach on June 5, 2024. She was 84 years old. She was born in Chevy Chase, Maryland on April 11, 1940. Her parents, Clarence and Lillian Kalk predeceased her. She graduated from Chevy Chase High School in 1958 and following her keen interest in science went on to earn a BS and a Masters in Microbiology at the University of Maryland. Following college, she pursued a career in healthcare research and administration, holding positions at the National Academy of Sciences, Georgetown Medical School and NASA where she headed the office of healthcare.
Carolyn is survived by her husband of 50 years, John W. Snow, and her son Christopher, daughter-in-law Sara Ellen, and two granddaughters, Charlotte, age 11, and Elizabeth, age 8, all of Richmond, Virginia; her siblings Lenore Zedosky (Robert) of Blythewood, South Carolina, Barbara Tompary (Mark) of Madison, Indiana, Robert Kalk of Leicester, North Carolina; and two stepsons, Bradley Snow (Reilly) of Livingston, Montana, Ian Snow (Elyse) of Oyster Bay, New York, and 10 grandchildren.
The Snows were married in August of 1973 in Washington DC and resided there until late 1980 when they moved to Richmond, Virginia, where Christopher was born the following year. Before permanently settling in Richmond, they lived for a time in Jacksonville and Baltimore. While continuing to maintain a home in Richmond, they moved to Fernandina Beach, Florida in 2016, where Carolyn enjoyed the serenity and natural beauty of the island.
Carolyn was extremely active in the local community wherever she was living. After moving to Fernandina Beach, she became a loyal supporter of the Nassau County Council on Aging, Barnabas, the Nassau County Boys and Girls Club and Take Stock in Children.
Over the years Carolyn was an active sports person who loved skiing, hiking, biking and tennis. She also was an avid collector of modern art and a wonderful cook who loved entertaining friends at home. In recent years, she enjoyed jigsaw puzzles, current novels and sudoku puzzles.
With her cheerful nature, keen intelligence and wry sense of humor, Carolyn made friends easily and was loved and admired by everyone who knew her. Kipling must have had someone like Carolyn in mind when he penned the well-known words about having the rare ability to “walk with kings but not lose the common touch.” Worldly distinctions were of less important to Carolyn than our common humanity and the universal longings of the soul. Those who knew Carolyn sensed this truth about her right away in her easy manner, her sincerity of heart, and her genuine interest in you, whoever you were.
But most importantly, Carolyn cherished her family. She was a loving and supportive wife, a devoted mother, and she absolutely doted on her grandchildren and loved any time she was able to spend with them.
In memory of Carolyn and in lieu of flowers, charitable donations can be made to Nassau County Council on Aging, Barnabas or Nassau County Boys and Girls Club.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date in the fall.