Carol Kane Neilson

Carol Kane Neilson died unexpectedly in an automobile accident in the early morning hours of October 1 2026 in Pawlet, Vermont. She is survived by her brother, Cook Neilson, seven nieces and their children, her loyal pack of Jack Russell terriers and miscellaneous other dogs, a barnful of cats, and dear friends all over the U.S. devastated by her sudden and tragic loss.

Carol was born in Baltimore to Katherine ("Tink") and Louis ("Pop") Neilson, and was the youngest of four. The family moved to Southern Vermont early in her childhood, and with a few short-term exceptions, she stayed rooted in the Mettawee Valley throughout her life.

While her older three siblings spent most of their youth on horses in Maryland and Pennsylvania, Carol's early years were spent on the mountain. Pop and Tink became avid skiers, and Pop was active with the Bromley Outing Club. Carol was a born athlete, and grew into a terrific downhill racer while she attended Burke Mountain Academy and Stratton Mountain School.

From her mother, Carol inherited an interest in dog breeding, which she pursued until the end. She was first drawn to Rottweilers (pronounced "Rockwilders" here in Vermont), successfully showing her dogs while carefully managing bloodlines to prioritize good temperament. Later on she acquired her beloved Mocha, a Jack Russell terrier, from her oldest brother, the late Louis ("Paddy") Neilson III. Mocha launched the family tree of JRTs that occupied the rest of Carol's years of breeding.

Carol helped countless people in Southern Vermont manage their mobility and physical well-being as a massage therapist- work that Mocha or one of her descendants oversaw from a cozy dog bed in the corner of the treatment room. Carol was an Honors Graduate from the Boulder College of Massage Therapy. While she enjoyed using her extensive talent to support injury recovery, pain relief and other therapeutic needs, she was particularly fulfilled by her specialized work with breast cancer patients.

Carol was an excellent cook, and developed a successful catering business in addition to her massage therapy practice. She loved the opportunity to be creative and be part of her clients' events, always taking extreme care to build menus that fit the particular event.

She was also happy to offer a corner of her home to a diverse collection of housemates over the years: some to help bridge short-term life transitions, others in longer-standing partnerships caring for the dogs, horses, cats, farm and chickens.

A benefit to the location of Carol's cherished home on the hill overlooking the Mettawee River and valley, was that her local siblings, Cook and the late Madeline Rockwell, each lived less than 10 minutes away. In recent years Carol enjoyed hosting Cook and his boys for a regular poker night; meeting up for breakfast; traveling to Rutland or Bennington for Japanese food; and heading to Birmingham, Alabama to hang out with Cook and his motorcycle people at the Barber Museum.

Carol and Madeline spent decades riding their horses to a meeting point halfway between their properties, then continuing on to explore the vast numbers of trails and fields in the neighborhood. For many of these rides, Carol's nieces Katherine MacLauchlan and Susan Rockwell tagged along. What many women share over a glass of wine at Happy Hour, they shared on horseback in the early morning, nearly every day except in the depths of winter.

Just as she had done for Katherine and Susan, Carol delighted in giving Katherine's children, Alice and Henry, holiday gifts partly designed to drive their mother crazy. Noisy toys or living pets topped the list for both generations. Carol also cherished the relationships she formed with Katherine's and Susan's husbands, Ian MacLauchlan and Austin Johntra.

That Carol was a deeply caring and generous person didn't show up in fluffy sentimentality. It showed up in the form of a seat at her table when your holiday plans fell through; a place to stay when there was nowhere else; meals dropped off when you're having a rough go. It showed up in her willingness to listen, to be present in the hardest of times, to take on complex tasks no-one else could confront, in advocating for others, and in fixing the problem, no questions asked. She connected easily with all members of her community, and helped those members connect with each other when that was needed.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages you to donate to the Second Chance Animal Shelter, or Grateful Hearts.

A going-away party is scheduled for October 17th at the bridge across the Mettawee River on Connaway Road in North Rupert, around 3pm.

The family hopes you will think of Carol the next time you have a particularly good meal, enjoy a peaceful experience in nature, or find yourself with a lapful of dogs - all things that spoke to her soul.

It is often said of great people that they gave more than they took.

Never truer than in Carol Kane Neilson