Carol Takacs

Carol P. (Addison) Takacs Carol Takacs was born July 28, 1926, in Columbus, Ohio, and died at her home in Madison-on-the-Lake, Ohio on March 14, 2014, after a long struggle with cancer. Carol was a lifelong educator, earning a PhD at Kent State University in educational psychology and serving on the faculty at Cleveland State University. She worked with the Cleveland city schools in creating and supporting programs for gifted children and was known throughout the country for her pioneering work in this field. Carol's book, "Enjoy Your Gifted Child" (1986), was inspirational to many. Carol was passionate about both social justice and the natural world. She was an avid birder and traveled regularly on birding adventures in North and South America, frequently with her Loons & Larks friends. She was active in the Friends of Arcola Creek and served as their president for several years. Carol is survived and missed by her brother, David (Christina) Addison; her two daughters, Cathy (Ray) Ake and Helen (Daniel Falabella) Takacs; two grandsons, David Ake, Jason Ake, and their families; Carol's neighbors, Mike, Jo, Steve, and Sophie Petkash and Kathy McDonald, who created a village around her; and many others too numerous to mention, including her "Kent gang" and her former students. She was predeceased by her two sons, Edward and Paul. The family will host a private celebration of Carol's life when the weather is warmer. Memorial gifts in her honor may be made to the Southern Poverty Law Center, 400 Washington Ave., Montgomery, AL 36104, or the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, 159 Sapsucker Woods Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850.