I have waited to write this letter to the Cranbury Township Community due to the holiday rush of activity during the holiday season of December. It is possible that many of the residents of Cranbury may not know that Carol Malouf, former teacher, vice principal and superintendent of Cranbury Township School district passed away on Dec. 14, 2023. Carol served with me while I was superintendent, 1989-2001. She succeeded me upon my retirement.
She was not only a devoted and loving wife, mother, and grandmother, but also my most valued and trusted colleague and friend. Carol was an exceptional educator and educational leader who always made our students her number one priority. She was kind, caring, and knowledgeable, and understood the importance of serving the children, the Cranbury community, and our faculty and staff in a fair and effective manner. In the 1990’s, together with Supervisor Linda Penny, along with our talented faculty and staff, we formed a strong bond and worked collaboratively to make Cranbury School the National Blue-Ribbon School it is today. Our efforts laid the foundation for Cranbury School, which has become one of the premier school districts in New Jersey. Carol’s contributions to our success cannot be measured.
Creating a school of such high caliber requires the efforts of many. It takes great students, supportive families, and a community committed to public education providing the necessary financial support of the school district. Undoubtedly, Cranbury possessed those elements. However, none of it matters unless the school district has strong leadership to bring all of those moving parts together. Carol was that leader.
She was in the school “WHERE SHE MADE IT HAPPEN,” putting in countless hours of challenging work and possessing the expertise as a school leader. Cranbury School District was fortunate to have had Carol as a teacher and school administrator. It was my distinct pleasure to collaborate with her while she served as my assistant and then to observe her soar leading Cranbury Schol District as superintendent after I left.
I am saddened by the loss of my good friend and colleague. I am saddened by the suffering Carol went through and angered by the terrible disease of Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA) that afflicted her. However, I will never let that sadness overshadow the wonderful memories I have of Carol’s professional life and, most importantly, the love and support she devoted to her family. No matter the professional challenges and variety of day-to-day issues in our work, her family always served as the foundation of her life. Not a day went by during our hectic schedules when she did not share something with me about her family, their successes, challenges, and family milestones.
Many say, “Nobody has it all!” But I must disagree. Carol had it all because she had a wonderful family and an outstanding career. Her life was truly well lived and I will miss her.
Robert J. Bartoletti, Ed.D.
Former Cranbury Superintendent of Schools, 1989-2001