Carol E. Brenneman
Carol E. Brenneman, age 86, died at Compassionate Care Center Aultman Hospice on Tuesday, March 5, 2019.
Carol was born June 18, 1932, in Cleveland to the late Domini (Gizewski) and Joseph Perlowski. After graduating from South High School in Cleveland in 1951, she attended Ohio Northern University and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1954. She received a master’s degree in education from the University of Akron in 1991. She married Fleet B. Brenneman on Nov. 13, 1954, in Broadview Heights, Ohio.
Carol had 25 years of teaching experience and taught grade 4-11 at Wiley Junior High in Cleveland Heights, Ohio; Big Delta in Alaska; McGuffey High School in McGuffey, Ohio; and Maple Street School in Orrville, where she retired in 1995. She received the Maple Street School Teacher of the Year and Orrville District Teacher of the Year awards in 1990.
Carol was a workshop presenter of Writing for Teachers in Ohio Districts: Teas Valley Local, Forest Hills, West Clermont, Great Oaks Joint Vocational, Clark County, Hamilton County, Seneca County and Wayne County as well as the Ohio Writing Project at Miami University and Cleveland State University. For many years her column, “Off Main Street,” appeared weekly in the Orrville Journal.
Carol was an avid volunteer with many community, educational and church organizations. For Orrville City Schools, she served on the negotiations committee, policy committee, the committee for oral and written language, the original Title IX committee, building representative, and spelling bee advisor. She served as a coach and judge for the Orrville Junior High writing team at the Wooster regional competition. She was an active member at St. Agnes Church and school, where she was a Sunday school teacher, lector, women’s guild president, leader of the education committee and the Mother’s Study Club. She was a Girl Scout leader and the bulletin editor of the Orrville branch of the American Association of University Women.
An accomplished athlete and early advocate for women’s sports, Carol served as head of the Orr Park Lady’s Tennis League, and she set up the first system-wide girls sports program for Orrville schools (later taken on by the Boys and Girls Club). Carol also coached junior high girls basketball.
Carol loved reading, painting, sewing and going to the theater. She was a lifelong learner and an advocate of higher education.
Carol was preceded in death by her husband, Fleet B. Brenneman; sister, Delphine Krause; and brother, Norbert Perl. She is survived by her five daughters, Kathi (David) Brenneman Baron of Evanston, Illinois, Paula (Craig) Brenneman Schmid of Canton, Lisa B. Martignetti of New Rochelle, New York, Laura Brenneman of North Canton and Joey Brenneman (Craig Waletzko) of New York, New York; eight grandchildren, Emilie Schmid Scacco (Jay), Alex and Madison Schmid, Ferdinand B. and Arianna B. Martignetti, Daniel Baron, and Henry and Zadie Waletzko; a brother, Joseph (Joyce) Perl; and numerous nieces and nephews.
A funeral mass will be held at St. Agnes, 541 Spring St., Orrville, on Friday, March 8 at 10 a.m. with Father Ronald J. Turek officiating. A graveside service will immediately follow at Crown Hill Cemetery in Orrville. A Celebration of Carol’s life will be held at Schmid Hall, 501 Hall St., Orrville, after the funeral, beginning at 11:30 a.m.
Auble Funeral Home in Orrville is handling the arrangements. Online registry and expressions of condolence may be made at the funeral home's website at www.aublefuneralhome.com.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Orrville Public Library, Orrville Boys and Girls Club, and The Cleveland Playhouse.