Ellenrose Carroll
Ellenrose Carroll (née McSheffrey), beloved mother and grandmother, passed away suddenly on December 13, 2021. She was predeceased by her husband William in 2018.
Born on February 28, 1938, she was the only child of the late James and Catherine McSheffrey of Norwich, CT. Ellenrose attended The Academy of the Holy Family and went on to earn her B.A. in English Literature at the College of Notre Dame of Maryland.
In December of 1962 Ellenrose married William Carroll of Norwalk at the Cathedral of St. Patrick in Norwich CT. Together they raised 6 children and enjoyed 56 years of marriage, living in Norwalk and Groton Long Point. Ellenrose’s love of literature and her Catholic faith led her to a decades long career teaching English at St. Phillip and All Saints schools in Norwalk. She continued as a substitute teacher during retirement.
After retirement, Ellenrose and Bill moved to Groton Long Point full-time to the home her parents had built in 1948 as a summer cottage. At GLP, Ellenrose was a fixture on South Beach, enjoyed tennis and was active in the Women’s Club and Historical Archives. Her greatest love though was always her family. She instilled in her children a strong sense of community and the importance of celebrating milestones. She NEVER forgot a birthday or anniversary and was the first to celebrate any accomplishment, no matter how small. She remembered everything about the people who were important to her and made each one feel special.
One of our mom’s greatest joys was becoming a grandmother, and the sixteenth time it happened was just as exciting to her as the first. Grandma built special relationships with all of her grandchildren and closely followed their education, sporting events and travels. She was proud of herself when she started texting, and always noted the grandchildren who got back to her the quickest. “Good luck on your test,” “drive carefully” and “let me know when you get there” were her favorites. Her house and deck on Groton Long Point (Club Cove) were always open to her lifelong friends, neighbors and family. Her frequent trips to the Big Y ensured that there was always a full fridge on arrival and beverages were flowing in the evenings (Grandma never carded). Memories of beach days, fireworks, holiday gatherings and the cousin connection are ones that we will cherish for the rest of our lives and forever be grateful. She was simply the best.
Ellenrose is survived by her six children; Maura Walsh (John), James Carroll (Eileen), Terence Carroll (Margaret), Bryan Carroll, Michael Carroll (Aileen) and Sean Carroll (Jennifer) and her sixteen grandchildren; Jack, Keelin, Brendan, Kerry, John, Molly, Erin, Ted, Patrick, Hugh, Tim, Mary, Meghan, Liam, Sarah and Jack.
A handwritten note to herself, found on her nightstand read “And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” Shakespeare, Sonnet XVIII
The funeral mass and burial will be private.