Westfield Woman, 90, Who Died Of Covid Was Like 'Surrogate Mom'

WESTFIELD, NJ — Among the two most recent coronavirus victims in Westfield — whose deaths were announced in a weekly update on March 12 by Mayor Shelley Brindle — one was said to be like a "surrogate mom" to the children near and around Belvidere Avenue.

Rosella Carden, 90, passed away on March 5 after contracting coronavirus in late February, said her obituary.

She was a docent at The Miller-Cory House Museum, which is a 1740 farmhouse in town, and was involved in other local activities.

In a testament to the vibrant lives beyond the death toll, Carden's obituary noted that she loved playing games with the neighborhood children, and even mentioned the names of the four dogs she owned during her time in Westfield.

Death toll

The two fatalities announced March 12 — Carden and a 78-year-old woman — brought Westfield's total death toll from the virus to 56.

This past Friday, Mayor Brindle said there had been 75 new cases of COVID-19 in Westfield from March 12-18, but no new fatalities since those announced March 12.

The first fatality in Westfield was announced a year ago, on March 23 ,2020.

Westfield held a "Day of Remembrance" in January for the victims of the virus in Westfield.

Military wife, 'Surrogate mom'

Carden's obituary said that she was born in Youngstown, Ohio. In 1952, she married her high school sweetheart, James Carden, and they celebrated 65 years together before he passed away in 2018.

"Jim was an Air Force pilot, so Ro soon adjusted to the chaotic life of being a military officer’s wife, eventually raising two daughters, Cathy and Jamie, on a military base in Delaware," the obit says. "Ro and Jim finally settled in New Jersey and by 1961 had moved to Westfield, where they had their third child, Jimmer. Ro ... was always proud of her ability to raise a family and successfully run a household while Jim, who was an airline pilot, often spent days away from home flying."

"...She loved dogs, from the dogs of her youth, Mac and Starfire, to her Westfield dogs, Puffer, Fergus, Gumby, and Jennie," the obit notes.

She also volunteered at the Westfield Community Center, the Children’s Specialized Hospital, taught Vacation Bible School, was a docent at The Miller Corey House, and a member of the Rake and Hoe Garden club.

"Ro’s main passion was being a mother and raising her three children, but she also loved being a surrogate mom to the many children who grew up on and near Belvidere Avenue," the obit says. "She loved playing games like 'Red Light, Green Light,' 'Mother May I' and 'Red Rover' with the neighborhood kids. ... When her own grandchildren came along, she delighted in playing with and caring for them, and was a loving and vital part of their lives."

Read more of the obit here.

As of Monday, approximately 542,000 Americans had died of coronavirus. (You can see which states had the highest death toll in the past week on this CDC map.)

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