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Carol Lee Trevathan (née Altland), 81, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania died peacefully on September 10, 2023. After bravely battling cancer, she spent her final weeks surrounded by family and friends. Carol was born on May 18, 1942 in Waynesboro, Pennsylvania to Stuart and Lucille Altland, who doted on her and nurtured her love for reading, music, and humor. She had fond memories of growing up in the creative, crafty, and hardworking Pennsylvania Dutch community of Hanover, Pennsylvania. Carol’s love of learning started young. She was an award-winning student at Eichelberger High School, where she graduated in 1960. She graduated from Penn State with a B.A. in Slavic Languages in 1964. Carol maintained lifelong friendships with many of her high school classmates and fellow Nittany Lions. She continued her education throughout her life and was proud of her time studying at Oxford University in 2005. Carol and her first husband, Luis A. Ortiz Whatts, married in 1964 and raised their two children, Tony and Lisa, in Puerto Rico. Carol filled their home with love, music, reading, and games. A devoted mother, Carol still managed to thrive in her careers as a librarian, language tutor, and Suzuki piano teacher. Carol is survived by her husband of 37 years, Rev. W. Andre Trevathan. They met at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, where Andre served as the priest and Carol served as the music director and organist. They bonded over liturgical matters and their love of learning. Excited to start their new lives together, the two were married on June 2, 1985. They lived in Kentucky for two decades before retiring in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Though Carol loved her church, birding, and her game group, her favorite role was “Gran” to her four granddaughters, Claire, Isabella, Cecilia, and Sophia. She never failed to support and encourage them, and she was always ready to join them for a night of games. Gran exchanged poems, swapped playlists (and then would send them notes about the songs), discussed books they were reading, and nurtured them with unconditional love. Carol’s nurturing was not just reserved for her family, she was always actively engaged in the community and had a focus on helping children. She developed library and reading programs for children at the Baldwin School in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, volunteered as Spanish and general education teaching assistants at the St. James School and Philadelphia Public Schools, and volunteered in countless community music and library programs. But it was an unexpected request that changed her life forever and led to Carol nurturing hundreds of young students as a Suzuki piano teacher. A neighbor in Puerto Rico saw Carol teaching Tony and Lisa and asked if Carol could teach her daughter as well. The child had been studying the Suzuki method and Carol was amazed at how well she played. Carol immersed herself in the world of Suzuki piano, mastering the techniques and teaching hundreds of children to play beautiful music. Carol, always a spiritual person, found a home in the Episcopal church as a teenager. Throughout her life she was actively involved with the church, studying liturgy and assisting with music, serving as a mentor in the Education for Ministry program, and working as the Dean’s warden. Everyone knew about, and her family was baffled by, Carol’s love for birding. Andre, however, was a willing accomplice and together they spent a lifetime seeking to add to their life bird lists. Their crowning achievement was adding 200 new species to their life bird lists on a journey through the Amazon Rainforest. Carol will always be remembered for her wit and humor, her incredible language and trivia skills, and the way that she always had a bird in sight, a book in hand, and a song in mind. We couldn’t have asked for a better wife, parent, and grandparent and will miss Carol every day. Her memory will live on in the hearts of all those who loved her. Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Stuart and Lucille Altland, and by her brother Lance Altland. She is survived by her son Tony (Lori) Ortiz, her daughter Lisa (Charles) Yezbak; granddaughters, Claire Yezbak, Isabella Ortiz, Cecilia Yezbak, and Sophia Ortiz; sister-in-law Suanne Wilson; stepsons Stephen (Malika) Trevathan, Jeremy (Paul) Trevathan, Francisco Andre (Nahomy) Trevathan. A memorial service will be held on September 23, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, 19 S. 38th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St James School, 3217 West Clearfield Street, Philadelphia, PA 19132.

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Carol Lee Trevathan

May 18, 1942 - September 10, 2023