Carol Van Hoesen

Memorial information will be announced by the family.

Carol was born Nov. 8, 1929 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Bradford and Bessie Morse. She attended high school in Los Angeles and graduated in 1946. She went on to earn a degree in cello performance in 1950 from the Eastman School of Music studying with Luigi Silva and Gabor Rejto. She married the love of her life, K. David Van Hoesen, bassoonist, on graduation day from the Eastman School of Music in 1950. She followed her husband to Cleveland post-graduation for his first jobs in the Cleveland Orchestra and Oberlin Conservatory and later came back to Rochester when David accepted the position of professor of bassoon at the Eastman School of Music and principal bassoon of the Rochester Philharmonic. Carol and David lived a happy musical life and spent idyllic summers in Lake Placid, where they enjoyed their cabin, their dogs and the many wonderful friends and musical colleagues of the Lake Placid Sinfonietta.

Carol taught privately in Rochester, and was a cellist in the University of Rochester Orchestra from 1962-1987, serving as principal cellist from 1980-1986.

She was an active soloist and chamber player for 25 years in Tuesday Morning Musical and Wednesday Morning Musicale in Rochester. Carol played in the Lake Placid Sinfonietta for 15 years and was an active member of P.E.O., Chapter AL in Rochester for most of her adult life.

Carol Van Hoesen had a wonderful generous spirit. She embraced all of her husband’s students and friends as family members. She loved her children, grandchild and great-granddaughter. She gave up a professional performing career, but basked in the accomplishments of her family, and indeed was the driving force behind the success of every one of them. She was a dedicated mom and saw to it that every need was taken care of and every talent or interest was nurtured.

Carol possessed a strong will, was independent in her thoughts and feisty enough to persevere through many serious health challenges. Life presented her with more than a few obstacles, which she overcame with typical determination. She passed down to her children a positive outlook on life, courage to speak one’s mind and the tenacity to achieve one’s goals. She will be remembered with love, respect, admiration and will be greatly missed and in her family’s hearts forever.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Bradford and Bessie Morse, and her husband, K. David Van Hoesen. She is survived by two daughters, Gretchen Van Hoesen of Pittsburgh and Catherine Van Hoesen of San Rafael, California, a granddaughter, Heidi Bearcroft of Toronto, and a great-granddaughter, Shelby Caroline Bearcroft, also of Toronto.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carol’s name to the Lake Placid Sinfonietta, P.O. Box 1303, Lake Placid, NY 12946.