Niles, Carlotta Ramsey, Age: 103, Shrewsbury

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Carlotta Ramsey Niles, 103, of Shrewsbury, passed away peacefully at her home on Tuesday, March 28. Born on May 27, 1913 in New York she was raised by her maternal grandmother in Matawan and later Long Branch where she graduated high school. She attended Boston University for one year until she married her husband Jonathan H. Niles in 1931.

She was predeceased by her husband of 56 years; and her son, Jonathan H. Niles Jr. Her daughters Carlotta Niles Emmons of Red Bank and Diana Niles King of Pine Plains, New York, survive her. She was the beloved grandmother of Elizabeth Niles Ford of Rumson, Jonathan H. Niles III of Long Branch, Taryn Emmons Freeman of Orlando, Florida, Ronald Emmons Jr. of Red Bank, Hope Emmons McCauley of Middletown and Mark Emmons of Davidsonville, Maryland. She was “GiGi” to 10 great-grandchildren.

Always fiercely independent she lived her life fully and fearlessly. She built her home in Shrewsbury in 1935 and raised her family there. She was a longtime member of both the Sea Bright Lawn Tennis & Cricket Club and the Deal Golf and Country Club. She loved tennis and played well into her 90s.

She was a life-long learner and believed you could always get better at anything if you studied and worked hard. She applied this philosophy when she took up the game of Bridge. Carlotta was a fierce competitor at the bridge table and was playing at the Jersey Bridge Club 3-5 times a week at 103 years old. She will be remembered as an intrepid traveler who loved hot air ballooning. Her final hot air balloon flight was in 2016 over the Mara River in Kenya. While on safari, a Masaai tribal chief named her Namunyuk (The Lucky One).

Although she traveled the world and went on amazing adventures, she always claimed that coming home to Shrewsbury made her happy. She was a rock star to the aged and kept her friends and family astounded by her incredible energy. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her.

A Memorial Service and Celebration of Life will be held at the St. John’s Episcopal Church, Little Silver, on her birthday, May 27, 2017 at 11 a.m. Memorial Donations may be made to the VNA Health Group www.vnahg.org. Thompson Memorial Home is in charge of the arrangements.