Obituary for Carla Neubert Benoist
Carla Neubert (Pickering) Benoist of Exeter passed away December 3, 2012 at Kent County Hospital at the age of 67 years, in the company of her daughter, Meredith E. Brady; her son-in-law, Kevin G. Brady; and friends, after a short, hard-fought battle to overcome lung disease. Carla was the widow of Buck Benoist, who died in 2007.
Carla was born in the Chelsea (Massachusetts) Naval Hospital, the only child of Charles Valentine and Marguerite Schans Neubert. Her father made a career of the Navy, and she spent time in Bremerton, Washington; Hillsboro, Georgia; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Argentia, Newfoundland; and, finally, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, where the family put down roots in 1958. There, Carla graduated from North Kingstown High School and attended the University of Rhode Island before marrying and giving birth to her daughter, Meredith.
Carla worked for the Sea Sprite company in Wickford before starting a 28 year career as an administrative professional at the University of Rhode Island, working for such diverse groups and departments as Atmospheric Chemistry, the Long Core Development Facility, the Music Department, Engineering, and Talent Development. She loved working with and for people, and found real satisfaction in being able to assist students and faculty with various issues every day.
Carla found solace and enjoyment in music, particularly folk music, and wrote many of her own compositions. She played guitar, flute, and recorder. Later, as arthritis made finger movements painful, she could still play Native American flutes. Carla wrote poetry and short stories, wove baskets from natural materials, knit sweaters for humans and hounds, and loved to garden. Her office was always full of plants and she could restore health to any ailing plant with a miraculous green thumb. Although she suffered from chronic Lyme disease, Carla did not let that stop her from many pursuits.
Carla loved animals, and could be counted on to have a soft heart and a comforting hand for any animal in need. In 1996, Carla adopted her first greyhound and found her way into the wonderful online (and local) greyhound adoption community. She always had more than one greyhound and often walked in Wickford or visited nursing homes with her hounds. She was also an advocate for the “bully breeds”, and had been owned by some remarkable cats over the years.
Following her mother’s lead, Carla became active in politics. Once she became a homeowner in Exeter, Rhode Island, she ran for Town Moderator, attended frequent Town Council meetings, and was eventually appointed to the Library Board and as an alternate on the Planning Board. She would often attend meetings with a knitting project, keeping her hands busy while her attention focused on the issues impacting local quality of life.
A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 pm on December 16, 2012 at the Cold Spring Community Center, 30 Beach Street, North Kingstown, RI. The remembrance program will be followed by a potluck. The family would welcome your company. In lieu of flowers, donations should be directed to Hope for Hounds (http://www.casualbling.com/Hope_for_Hounds.html), the Exeter Public Library, or Villalobos Rescue Center (http://www.vrcpitbull.net/dog/). Please take the time to be kind to one another.
A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 pm on December 16, 2012 at the Cold Spring Community Center, 30 Beach Street, North Kingstown, RI. The remembrance program will be followed by a potluck. The family would welcome your company. In lieu of flowers, donations should be directed to Hope for Hounds (http://www.casualbling.com/Hope_for_Hounds.html), the Exeter Public Library, or Villalobos Rescue Center (http://www.vrcpitbull.net/dog/). Please take the time to be kind to one another.
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Carla was born in the Chelsea (Massachusetts) Naval Hospital, the only child of Charles Valentine and Marguerite Schans Neubert. Her father made a career of the Navy, and she spent time in Bremerton, Washington; Hillsboro, Georgia; Grand Rapids, Michigan; Argentia, Newfoundland; and, finally, North Kingstown, Rhode Island, where the family put down roots in 1958. There, Carla graduated from North Kingstown High School and attended the University of Rhode Island before marrying and giving birth to her daughter, Meredith.
Carla worked for the Sea Sprite company in Wickford before starting a 28 year career as an administrative professional at the University of Rhode Island, working for such diverse groups and departments as Atmospheric Chemistry, the Long Core Development Facility, the Music Department, Engineering, and Talent Development. She loved working with and for people, and found real satisfaction in being able to assist students and faculty with various issues every day.
Carla found solace and enjoyment in music, particularly folk music, and wrote many of her own compositions. She played guitar, flute, and recorder. Later, as arthritis made finger movements painful, she could still play Native American flutes. Carla wrote poetry and short stories, wove baskets from natural materials, knit sweaters for humans and hounds, and loved to garden. Her office was always full of plants and she could restore health to any ailing plant with a miraculous green thumb. Although she suffered from chronic Lyme disease, Carla did not let that stop her from many pursuits.
Carla loved animals, and could be counted on to have a soft heart and a comforting hand for any animal in need. In 1996, Carla adopted her first greyhound and found her way into the wonderful online (and local) greyhound adoption community. She always had more than one greyhound and often walked in Wickford or visited nursing homes with her hounds. She was also an advocate for the “bully breeds”, and had been owned by some remarkable cats over the years.
Following her mother’s lead, Carla became active in politics. Once she became a homeowner in Exeter, Rhode Island, she ran for Town Moderator, attended frequent Town Council meetings, and was eventually appointed to the Library Board and as an alternate on the Planning Board. She would often attend meetings with a knitting project, keeping her hands busy while her attention focused on the issues impacting local quality of life.
A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 pm on December 16, 2012 at the Cold Spring Community Center, 30 Beach Street, North Kingstown, RI. The remembrance program will be followed by a potluck. The family would welcome your company. In lieu of flowers, donations should be directed to Hope for Hounds (http://www.casualbling.com/Hope_for_Hounds.html), the Exeter Public Library, or Villalobos Rescue Center (http://www.vrcpitbull.net/dog/). Please take the time to be kind to one another.
A celebration of her life will be held at 1:00 pm on December 16, 2012 at the Cold Spring Community Center, 30 Beach Street, North Kingstown, RI. The remembrance program will be followed by a potluck. The family would welcome your company. In lieu of flowers, donations should be directed to Hope for Hounds (http://www.casualbling.com/Hope_for_Hounds.html), the Exeter Public Library, or Villalobos Rescue Center (http://www.vrcpitbull.net/dog/). Please take the time to be kind to one another.
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