Joan L. Caro

Joan Caro, 83, passed away peacefully on January 31, 2020. She was a resident of Salem, NH for over 50 years. Joan grew up in Baltimore, MD and attended Saint Ursula Catholic School and Towson High School. During middle school, Joan was discovered by the nuns, who taught there, to have an unusually unique and powerful operatic singing voice. They encouraged her to pursue a career as an opera singer. At the age of 16, she met her husband, John, during an audition for a part in an opera in Baltimore and they immediately fell in love. Joan went on to sing for the Baltimore Civic Opera Company in many lead roles and also traveled to Italy to study opera. She moved to Salem, NH in 1962 to raise her family. She continued to sing and also worked at Gordon Insurance Agency in Salem as a secretary.

Joan was predeceased by her husband, John Caro of Salem, NH, her mother and father, Martha and George Nengel, both of Baltimore, MD as well as her brother, Martin Nengel, of Baltimore, MD. She will be missed by her son, Charles and his wife Susan Caro, of Cary, NC, her daughters, Beverly Caro, of Salem, NH and Rosemarie Estabrooks, of Amesbury, MA, her sister, Linda Short of N. Andover, MA and brother, Gary Nengel of Bel Air, MD, as well as her 6 grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Family and friends are invited to calling hours on Thursday February 6, 2020 from 9 am to 11 am at the Goundrey & Dewhirst Funeral Home, 42 Main St., Salem, NH.  Funeral services will follow the calling hours at 11:00 am on Thursday at the funeral home.  Private burial will be in Pine Grove Cemetery, Salem, NH. To leave an online condolence, please visit Joan’s tribute page at www.goundreydewhirstfuneral.com.

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