Carol Ann Messina

Born in Newark, Carol and her family moved to Roseland where she was raised and would attend Mount St. Dominic Academy. From a young age, Carol was admired by many, but her heart always belonged to her husband, Bruce. The story she most passionately told was that of when Bruce and she met in kindergarten. By first grade they would be ‘married’ in front of their classmates at Bruce’s childhood home. He endearingly presented her with a Cracker Jack box ring, which still sits along many other family mementos on her armoire.

Bruce and Carol were officially married on March 24, 1979 in front of lifelong friends and family. Shortly after their marriage, they scouted places to live and ultimately settled on a crop of land where they decided to build a home from the ground up. During construction, Carol chipped in like every other worker, meticulously staining all the house trim by hand for hours. Her memory still lives on in their Fredon home, with the trim outlining every doorway, entranceway, and stairwell.

Carol and Bruce welcomed their son Stephen December 30th, 1991, a day she would note as “take home day”, one of the happiest days of her life. Carol’s greatest passion in life was being a mother to Stephen, moving earths to make sure he was happy and taken care of. Every action, every move she made was to be close to him – from traveling around the world to watch him compete, to getting a job at the dojo where he studied karate. Once Stephen set his eyes on hockey, she would be by his side for every game and tournament spanning all North America. Anyone who shared a seat in the rink with her knew when he came out to play the puck because of her passionately reminding him to “Get back in the net!” Her pride and love for Stephen was known by anyone she met. Stephen is reminded of her favorite saying to him in times of adoration: “I’ll love you forever, I’ll like you for always, as long as I’m living, my baby you’ll be.”

A host by nature, with an eye for cooking and a larger than life personality, Carol brought people together from all walks of life. Her dishes and desserts are renowned by many – especially her brownies, pepperoni bread, and black & white cakes which she made for birthdays. Known as ‘Christmas Carol,’ she cherished the Christmas season because it allowed her to give back to others and carry on family traditions which were so important to her. A special tradition she instilled while hosting Christmas Eve was writing the names of loved ones and family that celebrated with her on a special ornament. The ornaments would lovingly hang on the tree in the dining room months after Christmas Day had passed. She valued the time she spent with her adoring parents carrying on family traditions such as baking Easter Pies, rolling struffoli, and preparing a feast for Christmas Eve and Easter.

Carol’s love for others was unmatched. Her warmth was felt everywhere she went, supported by friendships she formed across the globe – from Holland to Alaska and everywhere in between. Although she had many underlying health conditions, she never complained and always put the needs of others above her own with a compassionate smile.

She was the beloved wife of 41 years to Bruce Messina and is survived by her son Stephen, her parents Edmund and Kathleen Bimbo (nee Calabrese), her sisters Donna Bimbo-Kupchack and Toni Vardiman, her brother-in-law Ross Vardiman, and nieces she adored, Alexa and Julia Vardiman. She is cherished by her family and will be missed, but her traditions will be carried on in her honor.

Due to current restrictions, services will be held privately under the direction of the LaMonica Memorial Home in Livingston.

A broader Celebration of Carol’s life will be announced and held at a later date