Carol J. Dick Balmer passed away Jan. 26, 2024, following a long illness.
Many Holmdel residents knew Carole from her presence at Holmdel Township Committee meetings. As one resident said, she would “come prepared with points and questions listed on a yellow legal pad. Feisty is the best word to encapsulate her public speaking.” As Carole herself said, “When I get mad, I get going.” Carole faced life with spirit and spunk.
Carole was born in 1948 in Elizabeth. Her mother, Julia Helene Clew, died when Carole was 4 so she and her sister Bonnie were raised by their beloved father, William Stanley Dick.
Though she worked as a model and job recruiter, Carole’s favorite position was as a vet tech. Throughout her life she was always nurturing or saving an animal. All animals were welcome in her home. Her advice to everyone was always “You’ve got to get a dog.”
Carole said the happiest time of her life was when her boys Stanley and Ronald were young and they lived on their Holmdel farm where they could enjoy all the animals that would come to visit.
An ardent environmentalist, Carole’s greatest passion was preserving open space around Holmdel and protecting the watershed for the Swimming River Reservoir. She spent decades educating the community about the importance of the watershed, advocating for clean water and air quality, fighting against chemicals in the water supply, and teaching about stormwater runoff and soil retention. During her 45 years in Holmdel, she served the township as deputy mayor and committeewoman, planning board member, environmental commission chair, zoning board vice-chair, and Bayshore Regional Sewage Authority commissioner. She also participated in many community groups such as the Sierra Club and Citizens for Informed Land Use.
Carole’s advocacy for the environment is what gave her life purpose and meaning. Advocating is when she felt the most productive. Her focus on protecting the Swimming River Reservoir contributed to preserving more than 1,200 acres of land in Monmouth County, including part of Thompson Park in Middletown and the Chase Tract in Holmdel.
She is survived by her sister, her sons, and her large Holmdel “family.” Her intense love of animals, vast land use expertise, and focused dedication to protecting the environment make her someone who will be greatly missed.
A memorial service is being planned. Details to follow.
This article originally appeared in the February 15 – 21, 2024 print edition of The Two River Times.
