Carole Galer

Carole A. Galer

(Additional Photos Below Obituary)

Carole A. Galer, 84, of Hamilton, New Jersey, formerly of Newark, New Jersey, passed away peacefully at her home on December 24^th 2024. Carole was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee and was adopted at 3 years old  by her loving family, the Blumenfelds of Newark, New Jersey. Carole lived a full life with many chapters.

          Carole began modeling for the Ford Modeling Agency and was awarded a scholarship at 9 years old at the prestigious Manhattan’s School of American Ballet. Carole joined the New York City Ballet Company when she was only 15 years old and did her first performance in the “Waltz of the Flowers” for a 10-week “Nutcracker” run in New York and Chicago. While with the Company, Carole went to school via correspondence and ultimately  graduated from the Children’s Professional School of New York. Carole danced her way around the world as “Carole Fields” under the instruction and tutelage of George Balanchine. Carole danced with the finest of Company dancers at Opera Houses and Theaters throughout America, Europe, Asia, and Australia and loved reminiscing about her 16^th birthday celebration in Venice and dancing in Vienna’s newly rebuilt State Opera House.

Carole retired from the ballet at the age of 22 to marry Dr. Joseph Siegel of Newark, New Jersey and together, after Joe’s internship at Lenox Hill in New York City and his surgery residency at the Brooklyn VA, they moved to Lakewood, New Jersey to raise their three children.  When unfortunately, after 14 years, that marriage came to an end, Carole was set up on a blind date by her dear friends Anita and Joe Kohn. It was love at first sight when this handsome former radio broadcaster swept her off her feet and she was lucky enough to find true love again in Alan Galer of Baltimore, Maryland. Carole’s family expanded when she married Alan in 1982 and Carole became a step-mother to Ruth and Michael, Alan’s children from his 1st marriage to Betty Schindler.  Together, Carole and Alan ran “Alacar Transport Co.” a vehicle transportation company based in Lakewood, New Jersey before they retired to Coconut Creek Florida.

In 2012, during Hurricane Sandy, Carole and Alan stormed back to New Jersey to be closer to their grandchildren and New Jersey family. Carole and Alan lived in Lawrenceville, New Jersey and remained married for 33 years until Alan’s passing in 2015. Carole spent the last two years of her life in the Juniper Village Assisted Living facility in Hamilton, New Jersey where she made many new friends in both residents and staff alike. She thanked her family profusely for moving her there and constantly said “you done good” and “ I have no complaints”.

Carole lived with a prosthetic elbow from an old dance injury, survived both colon cancer and malignant melanoma inside her body (rang the bell free and clean from cancer in 2022), and had a metal rod in her femur. Carole and her family always joked about Carole having 9+ lives as the many chapters of her life and embedded stories enthralled and intrigued all those who knew and loved her. Perpetually in first position, Carole was a 2nd mom to many, a great friend, an amazing mother and step-mother and a cherished Grandma. Carole was a professional furniture re-arranger,  loved her animals Tootsie and Alfie dearly,  loved to crochet, and reading was her true passion. She particularly loved Daniele Steele novels or any autobiography.

Carole will be deeply missed by her daughter and son-in-law Sharon and Bob Voelzke of Yardley, Pennsylvania and  her beloved grandchildren Justin, Julia and Eli Voelzke, her son Andy Siegel of Boca Raton, Florida, her son Ben Siegel of Pompano Beach, Florida, her step-daughter Ruth Galer of Baltimore, Maryland and her step-son Michael Galer of Margate, Florida. Carole is also survived by her sister Judith Schatzberg of Livingston, New Jersey, niece/nephew Aimee and Alan Radowitz of Livingston, New Jersey  and nephew Mark Schatzberg of Livingston, New Jersey. Carole was preceded in death by her mother and father Florence and Sam Blumenfeld of Short Hills, New Jersey and husbands Dr. Joseph Siegel and Alan Galer.

A celebration of life service will be held for Carole on January 5, 2025 at 2:00 pm at Orland’s Memorial Chapel, 1534 Pennington Road, Ewing, NJ, followed by a reception at the Voelzke residence in Yardley, Pennsylvania. Interment was private. Please wear your best animal print or sequins- Carole would have wanted it no other way. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to JFCS of Greater Mercer County or a charity of your choice.