Carolyn H. Tiffany

Carolyn (Kay) Tiffany died at the age of 83 at home in Lexington on January 28th after battling cancer. She was at peace and surrounded by family.

Kay was the daughter of Richard D. Hess of Evanston, Il and Elizabeth Hoiles of Greenville, Il. She is survived by her sons Daniel of San Francisco, and Andrew and his wife Carolyn of Arlington, as well as her beloved grandchildren Catherine and James. Her twin brother Tony survives in Oregon, while her older sister Barbara died in 2003. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.

Kay was born in 1935 in Toledo, Ohio, but most of her youth was spent in the west, and this had a profound effect on her later life. Her father was a vice president of Western Gypsum based first in southern Utah, then Salt Lake City. She attended Roland Hall school in Salt Lake, and then Smith College where she studied art history with a concentration in Italian art. After college she lived a very Bostonian life with an apartment on Beacon Hill, and a job at Jordan Marsh.

She moved to Lexington in 1965 with her husband (divorced 1968) and two young boys. The ramshackle house and distressed landscape of that day is now a beautiful home and an exquisite garden—that being one of her most enduring passions.

In 1970 she received a Masters degree in Education from Tufts University. She then began work as a guidance counselor at Winchester High School. Her 20+ year career there was to the great benefit of innumerable students.

She was a lifelong lover of the Italian language, art, and particularly opera. In fact, she was married in the chapel at the Campidoglio in Rome. She made a celebrated final journey to Italy when visiting Venice with her granddaughter—which had always been a dream for her.

But for most of her life she was drawn to the landscapes of the Maine coast, and the desert southwest. Her home and yard were filled with art she collected from each trip—and some sculptures she created herself.

The precise dawn of her enthusiasm for activism and organizing is hard to pin down. She has worked tirelessly on many campaigns for office, notably for Ed Markey, Jay Kaufman, Mike Barrett, and many others. Of course, there were campaigns against some politicians as well.

The Nuclear Freeze Movement was one of her important early examples of activism. In the years that followed, drives were often aimed at more local effect—and they were indeed effective. The campaign to limit Hansom Field to a sustainable level of activity was one. Describing that work, Kay played a substantive role in the PBS documentary “The Rage for Democracy” (1992). In the early 2000s, she by chance ran into E.O.Wilson, who recommended his soon to be published book, The Future of Life. Finding this so powerful spurred her to help found the Global Warming Action Committee in Lexington. But, perhaps the most satisfaction she derived—as an organizer, and as town meeting member—was to have Lexington purchase the Pine Meadows golf course, and preserve the woods and wetlands of Meagherville. Walks in those woods with her dog Chloe were immensely satisfying.

Whether counseling a single troubled local high school student, or working on the greatest global issue, she always sought to be a force for good in the world. In 2007, she was awarded the state’s Unsung Heroine Award for her cumulative efforts.

A memorial service will be held in the Spring.
Donations to 350.org would please her greatly.