Marion Carroll

Marion Kathleen (Roherty) Carroll, age 93, known to friends and family as “Kay”, died June 20, 2021 at Agrace HospiceCare in Fitchburg, WI. She was born in Janesville, WI, to Lewis and Marion (McCarthy) Roherty. She attended St Bernard’s Catholic Grade School and Edgewood High School (Class of 1946).  After graduation, she completed additional training at the Groves-Barnhart Secretarial School and Madison Area Technical College’s Medical Assistant Program. She then began her career as a receptionist and secretary working for Dr. Richard Gordon.

Kathleen met her future husband Ray Carroll at East High School when he played on a city league basketball team. They married in September 1951 at St Bernard’s Catholic Church while Ray was on furlough from the Army and soon joined him in Mountain View, Alaska where he was stationed. It was there she found work in the admitting office at Providence Hospital in Anchorage. In 1953 upon Ray’s discharge, the young couple returned to Madison where Kathleen obtained a position at University Hospital and Ray returned to work for the City of Madison.  In 1959 she and Ray began building the home they lived in for 56 years on Crawford Dr. Kathleen moved on to other medical positions with various doctors, the Quisling Clinic and finally the Jackson Clinic from which she retired as a receptionist supervisor for the internal medicine department in 1986 after 20 years of service.

She and Ray loved to travel and many of their trips involved visiting family, friends and golf courses all over the US. She was avid reader, a stellar cook, music lover, watercolor artist and poet. She took immense pride in her home, her Irish heritage and fashion. Kay was at her best when friends and family needed a supportive voice or kind word. You were never greeted with anything short of the warmth from her “Irish eyes that were smiling.”

Kathleen is survived by her brother Jim Roherty (Marion) of Madison, WI; sisters-in-law Kathryn Fiore of Waupun, WI and Judy Prestigiacomo of Fitchburg, WI and many loving nephews and nieces. She was preceded in death by her husband Ray, her parents, brother Paul Roherty, sister Elizabeth Roherty Hagen; brothers-in-law Richard Hagen, Charlie Smith and Frank Prestigiacomo; sisters-in-law Maxine Roherty, Theresa “Tess” Roherty and Bernadette “Bert” Smith; nephews Charlie Smith II, Paul Roherty Jr, Brian Roherty and niece Megan Smith

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, July 15, 2021 at ST JOSEPH CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1905 W Beltline Hwy, Madison.  Inurnment will follow at Resurrection Catholic Cemetery at 2705 Regent St.  Relatives and friends may call on the family at the church from 10:00 am until the time of the Mass.  Father David Carrano will officiate.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Wisconsin Public Television (www.pbswisconsin.org/donate) or Agrace Hospice (www.agrace.org/donate).

Special thanks to the Agrace HospiceCare Memory Care unit in Fitchburg for their loving care of Kathleen. Cress Funeral & Cremation service is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at www.cressfuneralhome.com . In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made in her name to St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Agrace HospiceCare of Fitchburg, or Wisconsin Public Television.