Carolyn Dahl

Our Mom Carolyn lived at Van Rensselaer Manor for the last few years of her life. We are grateful for the excellent care that she received there.

Carolyn Nancy Dahl was born on September 7, 1932 in Lansingburgh.  She grew up spending many wonderful summers at Taconic Lake in Grafton with her family. She attended Samaritan Hospital School of Nursing, graduated in 1953 and was married the same year. Her dream had been to go to Art School, but in those days, women became teachers, secretaries and nurses.  She became a nurse and painted watercolors occasionally.

After raising three children as a homemaker, Carolyn returned to work first at Samaritan Hospital and later Seton Addiction Services at St. Mary’s Hospital in the field of Recovery and Addiction. She trained in Acupuncture and provided this treatment to her patients to alleviate their withdrawal symptoms. She was devoted to her work and her patients.

Carolyn was also a survivor of Ovarian Cancer for more than 30 years. After her initial surgery, she bravely flew to Switzerland by herself to stay in an integrative medicine healing clinic where she learned and practiced alternative medicine, meditation, and ate a vegetarian diet for many years upon her return. She has been an inspiration in her commitment to forge her own unique path in health and spirit.

In 2000 she moved to Boulder, Colorado to live with her spiritual friends as a member of The Society for the Greater Community Way of Knowledge, later retiring to Troy in 2008 to be near her family.

She enjoyed visits from her children, grand and great grandchildren. Halloween was always a special event in the Sycaway neighborhood where she lived, and she was delighted to greet each trick or treater personally. She was a bit like a modern Mrs. Rogers, presenting with kindness and sincerity foremost. Along with her love of people, she especially loved to challenge her family in scrabble tournaments and was surprisingly competitive with 1 and 2 letter words that no one had heard of.

Carolyn was kind, gentle and content.  She never talked poorly of anyone and refrained from gossip. She laughed and loved easily and was an inquisitive and positive thinker without regrets, complaints or resentment. She loved the spiritual side of life and meditated regularly, sustaining her with a great sense of peace for many years.

She will be greatly missed, but her spirit will carry through all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her children Eric Isager, Scott (Joan) Isager and Cheryl Rosen, her grandchildren Bethany Isager, Jennifer Isager and Amy Kneer, her seven great grandchildren. Predecease by her brother Harry Dahl.

Family and friends are invited to a service at 1:00 pm on Tuesday February 4, 2020 at the Gardner Earl Chapel in Oakwood Cemetery. Burial to follow at Oakwood Cemetery.