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Life Story for Carol Rose Kushner (Rubin)

Carol Kushner's Life

Carol Rose Rubin Kushner

February 18, 1943 – December 5, 2017

Carol Kushner passed away the evening of December 5th, a day after suffering a severe stroke. She was surrounded by loved ones: Howard, her husband of 51 years, son Peter, daughter-in-law Tracey and niece Ali.

Carol was born in Philadelphia to Samuel and Eva Gurmankin Rubin and grew up with sister, Marsha, in the small town of Mt Holly, NJ. A popular and accomplished student, Carol was a member of the National Honor Society, thespians, school newspaper, and a cheerleader. She graduated from Rancocas Valley Regional High School in 1961. As Carol liked to remind her family, she was voted best-dressed in her class. Carol earned her teaching degree from Temple University where she graduated with honors. Post graduation, Carol taught English at Camden (NJ) High School.

When they were both 15, Carol and Howard met at a USY (United Synagogue Youth) social event. Neither seemed particularly enamored with the other at first, but time changed that! They began dating the following year, continued while attending different universities, became engaged and then married in 1966.

Peter was born in December, 1966, and the young family moved to Ithaca, NY, where Howard pursued advanced degrees at Cornell and Carol taught high school English in nearby Newfield, NY. Subsequently, Carol taught at Silver Creek High School in western NY, when Howard joined the faculty of Fredonia University. During this time, Carol earned a MA in Literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo. Her thesis examined the life and poetry of Silvia Plath.

Later Carol’s career transitioned from classroom education to technical editing for several San Diego area companies, including an environmental compliance corporation, Syscon, and Fujitsu. Ultimately her editing talent brought her back to the education arena, when she became head of thesis review at San Diego State. In 1990, when Howard took a position at Emory University, Carol accepted their offer to become Emory’s Senior Editor of Institutional Research. After retiring from that role in 2008, Carol continued to edit Howard’s research and writing. She was involved in editing his latest book on left handedness, which he dedicated to Carol and his mother, “two left handers who shaped my life in nonsinister ways“.

In 1973, Carol had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. She lived with MS for the next four decades, but refused to surrender to the disease. She never complained and was fiercely independent and determined in the face of its challenges. She was an inspiration to her family and friends, who admired her resolve to keep working and living her life. Carol was an avid walker, a former potter, a voracious reader and a lifelong learner; she spoke fluent French, enjoyed travel, loved flowers, had many friends and, most of all, loved her family.

Carol leaves behind Howard, Pete and Tracey Kushner of San Diego, sister Marsha (Rubin) Shore (PA), brothers- and sisters-in-law Paul and Loretta Kushner (NJ) and David and Doris Klein (CO), nephew Andrew Kushner (CA) and niece Ali Klein (CA).

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