Carolyn Ruth Hunt Anderson (1941-2026), a social worker, real estate broker, and published author, died peacefully of natural causes in Darien, Connecticut, on February 24, 2026.
Carolyn was born in Evansville, Indiana, on August 20, 1941, to F. Helen Burnau Hunt and Maurice O. Hunt. In the 1950s, Carolyn spent a summer as an exchange student in Germany and remained lifelong friends with her host family. She first attended Lycoming College, then transferred to Boston University, where she graduated with a degree in Sociology in 1963. She received a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Columbia University in 1965, becoming a licensed social worker and a member of the National Association of Social Work.
While residing at International House at Columbia, she met her future spouse, Gerald L. Anderson; they married at The First Presbyterian Church in the City of New York in 1965. Carolyn and Jerry embarked on a lifetime of adventures. She and Jerry both earned their pilot licenses and flew a Beechcraft Bonanza together. She enjoyed backcountry camping and was an avid skier. She and Jerry learned the fundamentals of viticulture and started a commercial vineyard on her beloved family farm in Clinton County, Indiana.
Carolyn and Jerry bought a home in Greenwich, Connecticut, where Jerry had lived since high school, in 1967. They raised their two children in the public schools. During those years, Carolyn was active as a den leader for Cub Scouts and a pack leader for Girl Scouts, while also serving on the boards of the Greenwich chapter of the American Red Cross and the American Field Service. In 1972, she wrote The Complete Book of Homemade Ice Cream, Milk Sherbet & Sherbet (published by Saturday Evening Press). She later published a book on the Darien, Connecticut, painter, Ruth Ray (1919–1977).
Carolyn loved renovating old houses. In 1968, she received a certificate in Interior Design and Antiques from the New York School of Interior Design. She became a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and founded her own design firm, Carolyn Anderson Corporation. In the 1970s, she began renovating houses in New Canaan and Greenwich with her father, Maurice. In 2000-2001, she and Jerry built a custom home from the ground up in midcountry Greenwich.
Her design work led her to become a realtor in the early 1980s. In 1987, she and Jerry co-founded Anderson Associates Ltd., a successful real estate agency in Greenwich. To share their extensive knowledge of the town, they published multiple editions of the Anderson Guide to Enjoying Greenwich. Carolyn was elected to the Board of Directors of the Greenwich Association of Realtors, serving as its President in 2007. In January 2012, Carolyn was inducted into the Greenwich Realtor Hall of Fame.
Carolyn was a member of the First Congregational Church of Greenwich. She was also a member of the Field Club of Greenwich and served on board of the Round Hill Association.
Carolyn was predeceased by her beloved husband, Jerry. She is survived by her brother, Stephen Hunt (Julia); her son, Clifford (Rosanna); her daughter, Gwendolyn (Tod); and her three cherished grandchildren, Morgan, Theodore, and Rowan.
To honor Carolyn’s life, family and friends will gather on Sunday, March 1, from 2:00-6:00 pm at Coxe & Graziano Funeral Home, 134 Hamilton Ave, Greenwich, 203-869-5968.
The service of witness to the resurrection will take place on Monday, March 2, at 10:00 am at the First Congregational Church of Greenwich, 108 Sound Beach Avenue, Old Greenwich, followed by an interment in the churchyard and a reception in the auditorium.