Carole V. Baligh, a sweet and gentle woman who treated everyone with kindness, sadly passed away on June 23, 2023 at her home with her daughters by her side. She was 81 and the cause of death was lung cancer. Carole was an enthusiastic outdoorswoman who tread lightly on the planet, and its future was a pressing concern of hers. Carole passed on her love of the natural world to her daughters and grandchildren, and this legacy will live on within their hearts. Most importantly, she was a dedicated and loving sister, mother, grandmother, and friend who will be forever missed and deeply loved.

Carole was the daughter of Arthur and Virginia (Lindmark) Lighthill. Born in Brooklyn, NY, she grew up in Bay Ridge and was a graduate of Ft. Hamilton High School. Beginning at the age of 16, she attended Harpur College (now a part of Binghamton University), where she earned a degree in Biology in 1962. She was the first person in her family to attend college.

Carole worked as a technician in a biology lab at New York's Columbia University and briefly as a teacher. She married in 1966 and later moved to Rockland County, NY, where she lived for over 20 years. After several years as a stay-at-home mother, she went back to school to study computer science. Carole then embarked on a career as a computer programmer, joining the vanguard of women coders who dominated the computer industry prior to 1984. She worked for several companies, including Bell Laboratories in Basking Ridge, NJ, and Warner Computer Systems, formerly of Teaneck, NJ.

Carole was an avid birder, a dedicated New York Times crossword puzzler, a voracious book reader, a lover of dogs, an expert seamstress, a native-plant advocate, and a canoe and kayak enthusiast. In 1991, Carole moved to her home on Erskine Lake in Ringwood, NJ. The girl from Brooklyn finally fulfilled a lifelong dream to live closer to nature.

Carole gave her time generously to her community. She served on the Executive Board of the Rockland County Audubon Society in the 1980s, and later was a member of the New Jersey Audubon Society. She was a volunteer and member of the Friends of Ringwood Library, which she served as Treasurer for many years. She volunteered for the NY-NJ Trail Conference, Skylands Botanical Garden, the Laurelwood Arboretum, the Native Plant Society, and the Hackensack Riverkeeper. At the age of 79 years old, Carole achieved the distinction of Master Gardener from Rutgers University. That year, she was also awarded the Paul Leiken Award for Going the Extra Mile by the NY-NJ Trail Conference. Carole was also a member of the Wanda Canoe Club and the Hackensack Canoe and Kayak club.

Carole is survived by her daughters and their families, Lamece Baligh, her husband Joseph Zogby and their three sons, James, Elias, and Luke; and Sena Baligh, her husband Aaron Grosky and their two sons, Julian and Adrian. She is also survived by her sister Merry Sabet. She was preceded in death by her parents and her former husband Mostapha Baligh.

A Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. For those who are so moved, donations in Carole’s memory to any of the aforementioned organizations or Ringwood BASS would be greatly appreciated.

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