Obituary of Carol D. Rihm

Carol D. Rihm (Catt), 84, of Marlborough, CT, passed away on April 3, 2024 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.

Carol was born on March 19, 1940 in Greenfield, Indiana to the late Edward and Elizabeth (Stipe) Catt. She was the valedictorian of the class of 1957 at Greenfield High School and graduated from Central Business College in Indianapolis. In 1959 she married her high school sweetheart, Thomas Rihm, and they remained married until his death in 1985. After living in Alaska while Tom was in the Army, his job with The Hartford took them to Indiana, Maryland, Virginia, and North Carolina before settling in Marlborough in 1974.

While her four children were young, Carol was very involved in their activities as Cub Scout Den Mother, Girl Scout Leader and religious education teacher. Her civic activities included Democratic Town Committee, Board of Finance, Assistant Registrar of Voters and Roy B. Pettengill Ambulance Association secretary. She ended her professional career as a realtor for Century 21 after having been the secretary at St. John Fisher Church, Accounts Payable Clerk at Marlborough Town Hall and holding various positions at Liberty Bank.

However, her favorite role was being the matriarch of her family. She adored her grandchildren and could be seen (and heard) cheering on their teams, applauding their performances, and babysitting. She loved setting up puzzles and hunts for her grandkids on holidays, and usually had her Christmas shopping done for the entire family by June. Carol was a diehard Boston Red Sox fan and rarely missed a game on TV. She enjoyed traveling, reading, solving word puzzles, going to the casino, and watching game shows.

Carol leaves behind her son, Dennis Rihm (Marcy) of Glastonbury; her daughters Rebecca Drury (Carl) of Charlestown, RI; Deborah Rihm of Marlborough; and Lucinda Harrington (James) of Marlborough. In addition, she leaves behind eight grandchildren: Amanda and Thomas Brahm, Alyssa (Jeff) Kelly and John Drury; Jessica and Tyler Rihm; and Zachary and Riley Harrington. She will also be dearly missed by her nieces, nephews, and friends. She was predeceased by her husband, Tom and her sisters Doris and Nancy. Her sense of humor and her candor will be missed by all those who knew and loved her.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 at 11:00 am at St. John Fisher Church, 30 Jones Hollow Rd, Marlborough. Burial will be in Marlboro Cemetery. Family and friends may call on Monday, April 8, 2024 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Ave., Glastonbury. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Roy B. Pettengill Ambulance Association or the American Cancer Society in Carol’s memory. For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com.