People and Happenings
Caroline Loughlin , Volunteer Extraordinaire
People and Happenings
Volunteer Profile :
Caroline Loughlin , Volunteer Extraordinaire
By Stephen H . Anable , Communications Coordinator & Writer
A lot of the lasting — and startling — affiliations Caroline Loughlin has had , including volunteering at Mount Auburn , meeting her husband , writing a book and spending quality time with a hammerhead shark , have come about , in her words ,“ by lucky accidents .” But the success of Caroline ’ s extensive contributions , including her work as a Trustee of the Friends of Mount Auburn and Co-Chair of the Cemetery ’ s 175th Anniversary Committee , have also been the result of inspired and diligent work . Caroline sits quietly and intent at many a meeting , and then resolves an issue that stymies everyone else with a candid , focused comment and a smile .
Caroline became involved with her first historic landscape , Forest Park in St . Louis , through volunteering at the city ’ s zoo , located within the park . While serving on a committee tackling problems in the park , Caroline and a colleague , Catherine Anderson , researched its history then published their findings in a book , Forest Park ( University of Missouri Press and the Junior League of Saint Louis , 1986 ).
Caroline ’ s book “ accidentally ” led to her involvement with Mount Auburn . Through its publication , she joined the National Association for Olmsted Parks ( NAOP ), where she met Mount Auburn President Bill Clendaniel when they were both board members . When she moved to Boston and began exploring volunteer opportunities , Caroline was drawn to Mount Auburn because of its “ remarkable record of preservation and service .”
Caroline has worked as a volunteer at Mount Auburn one full eight-hour day each week in the Historical Collections department since April 2000 , and was appointed a Friends Trustee in September 2006 . She believes Bill Clendaniel tapped her to co-chair the 175th Anniversary Committee because the group “ needed someone who likes schedules and budgets and I do and most people don ’ t , so I said OK .”
It has been no accident , however , that Caroline has stayed at Mount Auburn . Having grown up in New Orleans , she was used to living in a remarkable landscape . Her mother was a gifted gardener , so the Cemetery ’ s “ gorgeous ” trees and plantings were another plus . But most important was Mount Auburn ’ s special combination of a commitment to preservation and providing a humane , stimulating , productive work environment .
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“ On a personal level , people are good to each other here ,” Caroline says . “ We ’ re serious about what we do , but this is a happy place to
Caroline has redefined the meaning of “ volunteer .”
work .” Caroline has a feel for landscapes “ designed to make you feel and behave in different ways ” and is fascinated by the stories they convey . She says , “ Mount Auburn ’ s landscape has certainly played a very important part in people ’ s lives , and not just the people who have family here but the people who came as visitors , who came to be enlightened and inspired .”
Another lucky accident — at Cornell , as an undergraduate — introduced Caroline , a math major , to a very important person in her life . During her first year on campus , she missed getting into the overbooked Literature 101 class taught by Vladimir Nabokov , but , by taking Philosophy 101 instead , she met the young man from Mayfield , KY , Philip Loughlin , who became her husband . Phil retired several years ago after a career at a tailored men ’ s clothing company and teaching business at a St . Louis-area college . He and Caroline now live in Weston , MA , and have two sons , Phil and Tom , living in Massachusetts and Colorado , respectively , and “ two adorable grandchildren .”
World travelers , Caroline and Phil have visited every continent , including Antarctica . They have been scuba diving from the Cayman Islands to the Great Barrier Reef . Below the waves Caroline likes to keep things spontaneous :“ I like to sit somewhere and be very still . Then the fish forget you ’ re there and come around . Once I was with a group of people sitting quietly on the sand , and I looked at the ‘ person ’ next to me — who turned out to be a hammerhead shark .”
Mount Auburn is happy to have Caroline — by land or by sea . Mount Auburn President Bill Clendaniel calls Caroline “ faithful , dedicated , bringing creativity and a bright spirit . She ’ s also a booster , talking us up to other groups and people with tangible results .” Curator of Historical Collections Meg Winslow says ,“ Aside from the sheer pleasure of working with her , I appreciate Caroline ’ s remarkable ability to take care of the smallest detail while keeping her sights on the larger priorities . She is an invaluable advisor and team member .” Adds Bill Clendaniel ,“ Caroline is just the sort of volunteer any CEO would jump through hoops to get .”
PHOTO BY Michael Dwyer , AP