In Memoriam: Carol A. Roehrenbeck
Carol A. Roehrenbeck, of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, passed away peacefully, and with grace, on December 12, 2022, at Catholic Hospice Inpatient Unit Holy Cross Hospital after gallantly fighting a chronic illness. Carol also known as “Dolly” by her loved ones, was born and raised in Upper Montclair, New Jersey, to parents William E. Roehrenbeck and Marjorie E. Buhler Roehrenbeck.
Carol graduated with her bachelor’s degree in American Studies from the University of Delaware. She earned her Master’s in Library Science from Rutgers University. While working at Rutgers Law Library she attended Rutgers Law School and graduated with her Doctor of Law (J.D.)
Carol was the Associate Dean, Director of the Law Library, and Professor of Law for Rutgers University Law School in Newark, NJ. She served as the head of public services and was a legal research instructor at the law school for several years. She was recruited by Nova Southeastern School of Law in Ft. Lauderdale, where she was Director of the Library and Associate Professor of Law. During that period, she oversaw the building of a new law complex.
She returned to Rutgers University Law School where she served as co-chair of Rutgers building committee and was a key player in the new building in Newark. Many of its enduring features were due to Carol’s influence. She continued to teach and organized programs on cutting-edge legal issues through the “Friends of the Library” series. She combined her passions for law and art and taught an amazing, forward thinking, Art Law seminar at a time when very few law schools offered classes of this kind. Among other things, the class focused on the looting of cultural treasures from developing countries by powerful museums and art dealers. Those issues have finally made it into the international discourse, and museums are starting to return looted treasures to their rightful countries. Carol was ahead of her time in starting the discourse on this very important matter. She also taught a Cultural Heritage Law seminar that complimented the Art Law seminar. She was appointed Professor Emerita at the time of her retirement for her contributions to Rutgers University.
In addition to her experience in academic libraries, she had worked for the Federal Reserve Board, the New York Public Library, the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education Association, and Pennie & Edmonds in New York. Carol also served as a library consultant and as a site inspector for the American Bar Association and the Association of American Law Schools. She wrote and published numerous articles and books on topics ranging from legal research to legislative history and more. One of her books is Complying with the ADA: Law Library Services and Facilities.
Carol believed in giving back to her community and served on several boards and nonprofits both in New Jersey and in Ft. Lauderdale. She loved animals and served on the board of an animal rescue center and helped raise funding for a new building. Most recently, she was a board member for the Gold Coast Jazz Society of Ft. Lauderdale.
Carol will be remembered for being a great friend to the countless lives she touched, her beautiful smile, kind spirit, incredible style, genuine love and concern for others, her sense of adventure, zest for life, love for music and the arts. She was recognized for being a real force around Rutgers Law School, making it a better place to teach and learn. Carol truly succeeded in all that she did and by all the lives she blessed along her journey.
Carol leaves behind grieving family members, and friends. Dr. Peter Babinski former husband and life-long friend, her cousin Robin Brun and husband Larry, her cousins Joy Schilling, Kevin Schilling and Godson Joe Schilling, Rick Roehrenbeck, and Bill Roehrenbeck. Denise Arico, devoted friend and soul-sister to Carol, and hundreds of wonderful friends, including Maddy and Charlie Goldberg, and Grace Kurak who assisted Carol during her illness.
For those who would like to make donations in her memory, you may do so online, using this link, and scroll down to the 6th entry: Rutgers Law School Scholarship Fund – Newark or the 8th entry Newark Law School Library Endowment, and state that it is in her memory. Or you may send a check, payable to "Rutgers University Foundation," and sent to Rutgers University Foundation, PO Box 193, New Brunswick, NJ 08903-0193, with the notation to one of those funds.
A Celebration of Life will be held for Carol in Fort Lauderdale. If you are interested in attending, please go to www.edkalis.com and go to Carol’s guest book and note your interest in the comment section and you will be notified of the date, time, and location.