Carol Jane Blum

Born and raised in Totowa Carol graduated from Passaic Valley High School in Little Falls with the Class of 1960, then went on for further education to become a licensed practical nurse (LPN). She initially worked for Barnert Hospital in Paterson before going on to enjoy a career as a nurse at Newton Hospital in Newton, NJ. Carol loved being a nurse. Her warm and genuinely caring heart was an immense blessing to her patients and it wasn’t unusual for her to give them a call to see how they were doing, even after they were discharged to go home. Unfortunately in 1984, her nursing days were cut short by an electrical accident with a hospital machine that caused an irreversible injury. She continued to work as a secretary, first for Good Humor Ice Cream and later with Kings Supermarkets.

In the ensuing years – 1986 and 1987, Carol experienced more health challenges resulting in prolonged stays in the hospital for 36 weeks and 18 weeks respectively.

Carol found love once again and she and Adrian “Ed” Blum were married on Saturday, June 30, 1984 at church in Lafayette, NJ. After celebrating their honeymoon on a motorhome trip down the Jersey shore, together with Ed’s daughter and son, they initially settled in Wantage and later in Kinnelon. In 1991they moved all the way across the country to San Diego, CA because Carol’s doctors felt that the warm, dry air would be better for her health.

Carol’s talent for lovingly making their new house into a wonderful home went a long way in helping her and Ed settle into the rhythm of their new life on the west coast. Ed ran his HVAC business close to their house which afforded him the ability to frequently come home for lunch. Carol liked that very much. Being the fastidious housekeeper that she was, their home was like a resort and she loved spending time with Ed in their pool and hot tub in the back yard which backed right up to a beautiful canyon view. Carol also kept active and enjoyed creating floral arrangements which she used to decorate her own house and the homes of others. Eventually, she and Ed got a chance to travel a bit so they bought a timeshare and spent a couple of weeks every year in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, a gorgeous vacation destination located at the most southerly tip of the Baja Peninsula. Through Ed’s involvement in the heating and air conditioning industry, they also traveled together to work conventions all over the U.S.A.

Above all else, the most important aspect of Carol’s life was her family. The distance was great but, as long as her health allowed, she and Ed made two annual trips back to the east coast per year so that they could enjoy their children and grandchildren. There was the family reunion in the Poconos and then the trip over Christmas and New Year’s. In-between those trips, much time was spent on the phone with loved ones back east. Carol was very loving and caring and her desire to be loved was always outweighed by her desire to be loving to others. In phone conversations, you could be assured that Carol would always end the call with a heartfelt “I love you.”

Carol faced many battles with her health, especially in the latter years of her life, but through it all, her strong faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior was thee foremost sustaining encouragement through all the tough times. She was grateful for the brotherly and sisterly fellowship of her church family at United Methodist Church and, when she could no longer attend, her heart was warmed and encouraged by the faithful visits from Pastor Licht who would always bring communion and spend some time with her in prayer.

Carol was the beloved wife of Adrian “Ed” Blum, blessed in marriage for 34 happy years. She was the loving mother of Kenneth L. and wife Dorothy Witte of Sussex, and Kevin A. and wife Mary Witte of Chatham; dear step-mother of Suzanne H. and husband John Meredith of Rochester, NY, and Steven E. and wife Lauren Blum of Tampa, FL; cherished grandmother of Valerie Ann Van Horn, Kenneth L. Witte, Jr., the late Tyler E. Witte, Michael J. Witte, Christopher A. Witte, Katherine A. Witte, and Cora E. Meredith; adoring great-grandmother of Amber Rose, Alena Joy, and Teighlor Ann Van Horn; dear sister of Frances W. and husband Robert Richardson of Totowa, and Donald P. and wife Danielle P. DeVries of Lake Worth, FL.

Friends may visit with the family on Thursday, October 18, 2018 from 3-5 and 7-9 PM at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne.

A Funeral Service will be held at 10:30 AM on Friday, October 19, 2018 at the funeral home, followed by entombment at Laurel Grove Memorial Cemetery, Totowa.