CAROL A. BENTZE

VISITATION: FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 10AM TO 11AM ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE RC CHURCH 5635 BERKSHIRE VALLEY ROAD OAK RIDGE, NJ 07438 FUNERAL MASS: FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 11AM ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE RC CHURCH 5635 BERKSHIRE VALLEY ROAD OAK RIDGE, NJ 07438 INTERMENT: FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 2021 FOLLOWING FUNERAL MASS ST. THOMAS THE APOSTLE CEMETERY ADJACENT TO THE CHURCH Carol Bentze, 76 years of age, of Oak Ridge, NJ passed away on Tuesday, June 15, 2021. Carol was born on December 16, 1944 in Connecticut with moderate intellectual and developmental disabilities. Carol’s father was killed in WWII and Carol never knew him. Carol’s mother was never really part of her life and left her to be raised by her maternal grandmother. As a child Carol ended up in and out of institutions until she was an adult. Carol was then placed in an apartment setting called a “Skills home” with a family in Jersey City, NJ. Carol lived in Jersey City for 9 years before moving to the country in Oak Ridge, NJ. Carol moved to Finnegan House, a Group Home of the Department for Persons with Disabilities, in Oak Ridge in September, 2004. Carol had a hard time adjusting to the fact that she lived in the country. In the first year she would open up a window or door and yell at the wildlife in the yard and told them to “Go Home!” Carol eventually got used to seeing the deer, turkeys and bunnies as well as a bear or two each year. She was more accepting of the wildlife after realizing that there were babies and she would smile and point them out to the staff and her peers. When Carol first moved in to Finnegan House she was not very trusting of staff or her peers but over the years she suddenly felt like she was part of the Finnegan family. She used to call the staff “Donna” or “Jimmy” but eventually learned the staff’s names and did use the staff’s names more often. Carol became a fixture in the house. She loved to sing and dance. When she was singing she would make up her own lyrics to the rhythm of the song. Carol had several shows that she loved to watch. She loved Bonanza, which she called “Cartwright”, The Andy Griffith show where she loved watching Barney Fife and she enjoyed the Sunday marathon of the Golden Girls. Carol also enjoyed wearing dresses and jewelry. There was never a day that would go by where she had several bracelets on each arm, and a few necklaces around her neck. She really loved her dresses and the more colorful they were the better. When Carol put on music she would start dancing and swinging her dress back and forth with a big smile on her face. Carol was a person who would speak her mind and on most occasions would use some colorful language to get her point across. Carol also turned into a very sweet and caring person. When she first moved into Finnegan she didn’t really like to be touched but eventually she learned to trust staff and started to give handshakes to people she was friendly with and hugs to her friends and staff she was closest to. Overall Carol was a wonderful woman who had a beautiful and wonderful life while living at Finnegan. Everyone who knew her loved the woman she became and was always happy to see her. She will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her and she will always have a special place in my heart. Finnegan House will not be the same without Carol’s spunk, but she has left a lasting imprint on all our hearts. We know she is rejoicing in heaven now, enjoying her favorite “hackaburger” (hamburger) with Gary. May she rest in peace and forever be our angel above. A visitation will take place on Friday, June 18, 2021 from 10am to 11am followed by a funeral mass at 11am at St. Thomas the Apostle RC Church, 5635 Berkshire Valley Road, Oak Ridge, NJ 07438. Interment will immediately follow at St. Thomas the Apostle Cemetery, adjacent to the church.

CAROL A. BENTZE

December 16, 1944 - June 15, 2021