F. Carolyn (Hunter) Muir

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Carolyn (Hunter) Muir, 87, of Litchfield, died of unspecified progressive dementia on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2021 in Washington, D.C.

Born June 12, 1933 in Baltimore, Md., daughter of the late Earl W. and Lida (Warring) Hunter, Carolyn attended Baltimore public schools and was a member of Gatch Memorial United Methodist Church. At 14, Carolyn moved to Queens, N.Y. where she graduated from Andrew Jackson High School.

Carolyn graduated from Wittenberg College (Ohio) in 1955 (B.A. in Mathematics.) Her career in Manhattan as researcher and research project leader spanned 12 years with A.C. Nielsen, Mutual Broadcasting Systems, Perkins/General Foods Company and finally in the research department of Handy Associates, an executive recruiting firm.

After marrying Ross Lyle Muir in 1966, she dedicated herself to family, church, and community. A Deacon and Elder in the Presbyterian Church, Carolyn taught Sunday school in New York City, Basking Ridge, N.J., and Topsham. She was involved in many causes including Prison Reform, Anti-Gambling efforts, and Immigrant English Literacy. Carolyn was also an active PTA member and school volunteer and was most passionate about children’s education and well-being.

Carolyn was intensely loyal, supremely curious, and exceptionally industrious and she applied her skills to benefit family, church, and community. Seeing citizenship as a privilege, she tracked issues and participated publicly and privately with a bias towards short-term sacrifice for long-term societal gains.

Life highlights included a trip through Europe and the Brussels World’s Fair in 1958, time with her family in the Berkshires in the 1970s, and a trip round-the-world with her husband in 1990. Carolyn and Ross retired to Litchfield in 1992 where she embraced Maine’s culture and people, especially her kind and generous neighbors and fellow church parishioners, throwing herself into the development of the Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church facilities and programs in Topsham.

Predeceased by her husband, Ross (1921-2003); her sister, Betty (Hunter) Roche (1931-2020); her stepson, Bryce L. Muir (1946-2005); and her niece, Betty (Duperry) Flynn (1949-2020).

Carolyn’s survivors include her sister, Barbara (Hunter) Peterec and her husband Lawrence of Newcomb, N.Y.; her sons Ross Lyle Muir Jr. of Washington D.C. and Ian Hunter Muir and his wife Susan of London, UK; her daughter-in-law, Peggy Muir of Bowdoinham; her nephews Steven Peterec and his wife Angela of East Lyme, Conn. and Richard Peterec and his partner Elizabeth of New Paltz, N.Y., her nieces, Cathy (Duperry) Green and her husband Jim of Bridgeville, Del., and Diane (Peterec) Reynolds and her husband Robert of Dana Point, Calif.; her granddaughter, Hope, her grandsons Seth, Kai and Bryce; her great-grandsons Silas and Luca; her great-nephews Jeff and Bobby, and her great-nieces Beth, Allyson, Kelly, Erin, and Emma; her great-grandnephew Myles and her great-grandnieces Juliette and Adèle.

A memorial is planned at the Mid-Coast Presbyterian Church in Topsham on Saturday August 13. Family contact: lylemuir@gmail.com.

F. Carolyn (Hunter) Muir

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