Carol Westlake Quimby
Carol Westlake Quimby, 69, of Acton passed away at home on March 11 after gracefully living with MS for most of her adult life. Attending were her husband of 47 years, John Westlake Quimby, and their son, Paul Westlake Quimby, of Hayward, Calif. Together they have been long-standing members of St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Church in Lincoln.
Carol was born on Sept. 2, 1954 to Sarah Lance Westlake and Merle T. Westlake in Harrisburg, Penn. After her family moved to Lexington, Mass., Carol attended Dana Hall and graduated with honors from the University of New Hampshire studying studio fine arts. It was at UNH she fell in love with fellow art student, dancing partner, and husband-to-be John. After graduating they were married in a large garden party at her parent’s home in Lexington in 1976.
Carol’s professional career and studio art were always connected to her skills in drafting, graphic and three-dimensional design, and color. While living in Portsmouth, N.H. she was an exhibit designer in historic buildings at the Strawberry Banke Museum, presenting archaeological artifacts and the history of the buildings. Her extensive computer and design skills led to work in a graphic design company in Cambridge where she tested their custom graphic software and using their software, designed what today are web sites on standalone kiosks. One such project exhibited an introduction to American life in Russian that toured Russia in a cross-cultural exchange program sponsored by the State Department.
Carol ran her own business, WQDesigns in Acton. She designed and made custom jewelry on commission out of her home studio and designed personal and corporate identities. Carol also did professional computer graphics layout of several books and artist catalogues as a part of her business. She was an excellent water colorist, doing both precise still life and gestural landscapes of her many travels, and made abstract color works on paper. Later, Carol studied the tradition and techniques of religious art and wrote (painted) beautiful icons. She loved music of many forms, played alto recorder, and sang for many years in community chorus and in her church choir.
A memorial service celebrating her life will be held at St. Anne’s in-the-Fields Lincoln on May 11 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the St. Anne’s Music Fund.
Arrangements are under the care of Concord Funeral Home, which provided this obituary. To share a memory or offer a condolence, click here.