Carol Ann Booth

Carol A Booth, Ph.D. passed away on July 28, 2020 at UTMB Clear Lake Hospital in Webster, Texas surrounded by her family. Married 43 years, Carol is survived by her husband, Kenneth C. Booth, Ph.D. of Seabrook, Texas and her daughter Colleen C. Booth, Esq., her husband Curtis W. Shields and grandson, Logan B. V. Shields of League City, Texas. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara Taylor, D.N.P. her husband Frank Demartinto, D.O. of Westampton, N.J, and her husband’s extended Booth family.

Carol was born on November 20, 1952 in Canton, Ohio to the late Richard A. LaMenza and Frances (Fran) N. Buhrman and spent her childhood years in Maple Shade, N.J. She graduated for Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, in 1974 with a B.A. in Psychology and was an Alden Scholar. Prior to college she attended a high school program for gifted students at the Hahnemann University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA. She received here M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pittsburgh in Educational Psychology in 1977, where she was appointed to the Graduate Council of Students and received the Chancellor’s Research Award.

A widely known, highly respected nationally and state licensed psychologist, university professor, administrator, speaker and consultant, Carol devoted her professional life to serving the needs of children and adolescents with disabilities and furthering the development of those in her profession.

Married the year she and Ken completed their graduate degrees, they, on a lark, moved to Houston, and later to Galveston, where they restored the historic Dealey home on Church St. in the East End Historical District, which was later shown on the 21st Annual Galveston Historical Homes tour. She was involved in the early years of the East End Historical District, Dickens on the Strand, and was on the Executive Board of the Galveston County chapter of the National March of Dimes. Professionally, she was Director of the Infant Development Center for the Gulf Coast Regional Mental Health and Mental Retardation Centers in Galveston, Dickinson and Lake Jackson and was a Senior Research Associate in Psychology in the outpatient clinic for children and the lead psychologist and principal at Moody Pediatric Rehabilitation Unit. The Galveston years were an extraordinary time for her, filled with wonderful friendships that lasted throughout the years, the shared humor associated with restoring old homes, the birth of her daughter, and of course time at the “shore”, as they say in Jersey.

She later formed her own company, Carol Booth & Associates, PC, providing psychological and consulting services to school districts and other organizations throughout the state. For over thirty years, she prepared licensed School Psychologists and diagnosticians at the University of Houston Clear Lake, St. Thomas and Lamar Universities, as well as serving as an adjunct clinical faculty at the Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. While supervising psychological interns and residents from multiple states seeking to practice psychology in Texas, she was an oral examiner and, later, an ethics complaint reviewer, for the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists.

Later in her career she was a psychological consultant for the Region IV Education Service Center providing professional development and consultant services to 48 school districts in five counties; was the lead consulting psychologist in numerous school districts, including Dickinson, LaMarque, Galveston, Galena Park, and the South Jasper County. She served as the Assistant Director of Special Education in Dickinson, and was Program Director for Evaluation and Intervention Services and the Director of Special Education in Galena Park schools, all while maintaining her university teaching and consulting business.

Throughout her career she was a leader in numerous professional organizations dedicated to the furtherance of the practice of psychology at the national, state and local levels. She was a member of the American Psychological Association; the Council for Exceptional Children; Texas Council of Administrators of Special Education (TCASE); Autism Society of America; President, Treasurer, Regional Representative and Executive Board member of the Texas Association of School Psychologists (TASP), President of the Gulf Coast Administrators of Special Education, was the Texas delegate to the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the State of Texas Delegate to the School Psychologists Constitutional Assembly. TASP recognized her with the Outstanding School Psychologist award and later the award for Outstanding Contribution to School Psychology. She spent countless hours volunteering for community organizations devoted to improving schooling and services for children’s mental health.

Carol was at heart a teacher, and deeply cared for her students, colleagues, husband, daughter, friends, and those in her profession. Although she had very high expectations for others, she was incredibly sensitive and loving to those she worked with. Anyone who worked with Carol knows how thoughtful she was, always having little gifts, food, jokes, and fun activities for presentations, holidays, training sessions and classes. Despite hearing otherwise, Carol underestimated her importance in the lives of others and never truly understood how many people cared for her.

In another life, Carol was probably a mermaid, as she loved more than anything, to be near and in the water, especially the ocean. A lover of books and reading, she could often be found in the middle of the night or the day after Christmas reading a new novel. Although she was never very successful as a gardener until the summer of her passing, Carol loved gardens and flowers. There were always flowers in every room, especially during holidays and celebrations. If not reading, Carol was the consummate cook, spending most of her free time in the kitchen. She took great joy in the “therapy” she derived from preparing sumptuous meals for her loved ones, friends and gatherings. One of her most cherished activities was baking cookies with her daughter, and then grandson, who provided her with endless joy. Nearing retirement, she so looked forward to sharing the things with Logan that only “granmom” knew how to do.

She will be tremendously missed by her immediate family, dozens of extended family members, and the many hundreds of those whose personal and professional comradery and love she shared over the years. The family wishes to thank the medical staff, but especially the nurses, and who unselfishly cared for Carol throughout her illness, including Halen Titus, Patricia Moreno, Ashlee Ilisfee, Leo Feliciano, Chandra Debesingh, Jamie Richardson, Melody Reiss, and Allie Shukanes.

There will be no visitation or service at this time due to concerns regarding the coronavirus. The family plans to have a memorial in the coming year with all those whose lives Carol touched. Donations may be made to the Multiple Sclerosis Society, or one of Carol’s professional associations. Arrangements are being made through Forest Park East Cemetery in Webster; condolences and memories can be shared below.