Carol Ann Walton

Born in White Plains, NY. Carol began her journey to become a Psychologist early in her life. Initially raised by her maternal Grandmother, Carol began working at the age of 14, moving to Melbourne. Florida to assist her Mother at the age of 18. She met and married her first husband, Larry Taylor and they had two wonderful boys together. Carol raised her boys while working full time to support her family while her husband attended college. When her husband graduated, Carol began her own pursuit of higher education, graduating from Rollins College with a B.S. degree with Honors in 1982.

Carol was always a passionate proponent of women’s rights. She was an early member of the ERA movement and was deeply involved in local political action. She advocated everything from sidewalks for schoolchildren so they didn’t have to walk in the road to equal pay for the same work on a national level. She was a lifelong patriot.

Carol attended graduate school at night, while still working full time, graduating from Nova University with a master’s degree in science in 1984 with a concentration in Psychology. After her divorce from her first husband, Carol was accepted into the Doctoral program at Florida Institute of Technology, where she met and then married her second husband Ray. She attended graduate school full time while working 24 hour shifts at Circles of Care, the County receiving facility for citizens requiring mental health services. After a year at this position Carol worked the night shift as a Psych Tech at the Wuesthoff Hospital inpatient ward in Rockledge, attending classes during the day.

To earn her Doctorate from F.I., Carol had to complete a one year internship at a Mental Health inpatient facility. She was accepted at Austin State Hospital in Austin Texas, a 240 bed psychiatric inpatient facility.

Accompanied by her husband, Carol completed four separate rotations during her internship and provided outpatient evaluation/treatment at a satellite facility in Bastrop, Texas. Carol received her Psy.D. degree, as a Doctor of Psychology with specialization in Clinical Psychology, in 1988.

Carol then joined a group practice of Psychiatrists and Psychologists as a licensed Clinical Psychologist offering adult and adolescent counseling. She was elected to Membership by the American Psychological Association in 1988. After several years as a member of a group practice Carol opened her own office remained in private practice from that point on. She was awarded her certificate as a Health Care Provider in Psychology by the National Register of Health Care Providers in Psychology in 1996.

She successfully practiced clinical psychology until a simple mis-diagnosis by a physician eventually resulted in a designation of a terminal illness in 1999. She refused to accept the terminal component of the diagnosis and after 56 radiation treatments and a 36 dose chemotherapy ordeal, spent a year in recovery. She re-entered private practice and continued working full time as a clinical psychologist from that time until her retirement at the age of 75.

Carol exemplified perseverance and determination. She was a brilliant, compassionate, intuitive and understanding person who touched and transformed her patients, family and friends. She was fierce in her beliefs, devoted to her causes and unwavering in her ability to provide compassion and understanding even to the most undeserving.

Carol is survived by her loving husband of 40 years, Ray and her two wonderful sons, Channing Taylor and his wife Kim, and Damon Taylor and his wife Viki. Her two grandchildren, Ashley Nicole and Nicholas were always in her thoughts if not nearly enough in her presence.

Carol spent the last years of her life in continuous pain and suffering and partial paralysis from the debilitating effects of her cancer treatment. Yet she maintained her caring and compassionate empathy for those around her, providing gentle guidance and counseling to those around her. She chose to enter Hospice care when her physical self eventually failed her. Until the moment of her passing she was as cognizant, sharp, witty, brilliant, self deprecating and intuitive as ever. Those who knew and loved her are a bit less whole now. She remains a remarkable, memorable, influential person who lives on in the smiles of those who had the privilege to journey through this life with her.

Please join the family at Carol's Celebration of Life on Wednesday, September 18th, 2024. It will be held at Intracoastal Brewing, 652 W Eau Gallie Blvd, Melbourne, FL 32935, from 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM on the second floor.