Carol Jean Dell'Amore

Dr. Carol Jean Dell’Amore, 78, died on Jan. 3, 2024, 26 years to the day of her mother’s passing. She was born October 26, 1945, in Baltimore, Maryland, the fourth child of Ruth and Hilby Burke Langrall. At an early age, Carol stood out as intelligent and mature, becoming the first in her family to graduate college. After completing a degree in English and a master’s degree in counseling at the University of Maryland, College Park, she began working in the university’s Conferences and Institutes Division, where she met her future husband, Jean DellAmore. Though Jean could be spontaneous (he worked as a part-time mechanic and had a Volkswagen engine in his living room) and Carol was disciplined and neat, they fell in love and married in 1978—at the university chapel, of course. Their beloved daughter, Christine Elizabeth Dell’Amore, came along in 1980, and they soon moved to Columbia, Maryland, to raise their family. Carol’s career flourished, and in the 1990s she created and became executive director of the National Leadership Institute, part of the University of Maryland University College. As director, she managed a team of clinical psychologists who trained clients—often high-ranking members of the military—how to become better leaders. Carol believed strongly that embracing all the facets of your personality makes you a more successful person; she often said that being an introvert is not a bad thing. In 1997, she earned her Ph.D. in leadership psychology from the University of Maryland University College, which she completed while working full-time. Thanks to Jean’s work with international companies, the couple traveled frequently throughout Europe, including France, the Netherlands, Austria, and Italy. Some of their favorite vacations were to the Caribbean, particularly their honeymoon in Martinique. The family took annual summer trips to Ocean City, Maryland, where Carol loved sitting on the balcony and watching the sun set with a good glass of wine. Carol was an avid reader and book club participant, expanding her knowledge of history by reading books from many different cultures and perspectives. When she retired in 2016, Carol had led her organization for an incredible 28 years, leaving a legacy as a person of integrity and scholarship. In 2017, she moved to the Two Rivers community in Odenton, Maryland, where she formed some of the closest friendships of her life. She was particularly fond of Bunco night and was thrilled the time she won the top prize of $25. A year later, she took on a new role as grandmother, when her grandson Everett Clark Dell’Amore Howard was born. He quickly bestowed on her the title Nana, a more vernacular take on the word “Nan.” One of her best memories, she said, was watching Everett experience Disney World in November 2022, which was also her last trip before her COPD worsened and eventually took her life. In addition to her grandson, Carol leaves behind her husband, Jean; daughter, Christine Dell’Amore and son-in-law Brian Howard; sister Audrey Galloway and brother-in-law Jim Galloway; brother Dennis Langrall and sister-in-law Lynn Langrall; brother Burke Langrall and sister-in-law Jean Langrall, niece Suzann Langrall, and nephews Matt, Dave, and Dan Galloway. Her sister Joanne Culver passed in 2019. A memorial will be held at Two Rivers Villages Ballroom in Odenton, Maryland, on Saturday, February 24, 2024, at 11 a.m. Please make donations to Toys for Tots.