Carol Mott

Carol Mott, of Willimantic, died peacefully on February 2, 2012 surrounded by loving family. She was born Phyllis Carol Panico to Albert and Catherine (Dreissigacker) Panico on August 28, 1922. Carol was a lifelong resident of Willimantic and was married for over fifty-five years to the love of her life, Ernest "Ernie" Mott, by whom she was predeceased. With a natural gift for mathematics, Carol was an accomplished and self-taught bookkeeper, who worked for many prominent local businesses, including several automobile dealers, as well as an accounting firm. Carol and Ernie loved spending time with their family and had many common hobbies, including gardening and cooking. They also made annual trips to Lake Placid, New York and Whiteface Mountain to visit family and friends. After retiring at the age of seventy-five, Carol continued to pursue her lifelong avocation as an amateur historian and photographer. As anyone who ever posed for her cameras or witnessed the brag book which was ever present in her handbag could tell you, Carol was devoted to meticulously chronicling the lives of her children and grandchildren in whom she took great pride. She was also a regular contributor to the Chronicle's "Do you remember when?" features, correctly identifying people and places in vintage photographs and answering questions about local historical events. Post-retirement, Carol enjoyed riding trolleys and visiting the beaches she had loved since childhood, as well as exploring historical sites all around New England with her daughter Joy and her family. Carol was also able to revisit the Adirondack Mountains she loved with her son, Lee and his family. Carol was known by all to be a terrific storyteller and could regale her willing listeners with intricate and specific details of events that had occurred even forty or fifty years before. Her zest for life and unique voice will be missed by all who loved her. Carol is survived by two daughters, two sons and eight grandchildren including: Joy Mott Gill and her husband Kevin of Canterbury, their son Sean and his fiancAC.e Tiffany West of Canterbury, their daughter Tara and her husband Alexander Nalencz of Philadelphia and youngest son Ryan Gill also of Philadelphia; Lee Mott and his wife Julie of Windham, their daughter Erica, sons Derek and Kurt, stepson Dennis, stepdaughter Ashley and her husband Luis Murcia. Her family will receive relatives and friends on Monday Feb. 6th between 6:00 and 8:00pm at Potter Funeral Home 456 Jackson St. (Rte. 195) Willimantic. The funeral service will take place on Tuesday at 11:30am at St. Paul Episcopal Church, 27 Plains Rd., Windham Center. Interment will follow in Windham Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, Carol's family asks that donations be made to St. Paul Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 82, Windham Center, CT 06280 or Connecticut Children's Medical Center Foundation, Inc., 282 Washington Street, Hartford, CT 06106. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com .