Carlotta Miller Budd ...active in Dover church; at 82

DOVER - Carlotta Miller Budd, 83, died Wednesday, April 24, at the Hyder Family Hospice House in Dover. She was born on Aug. 28, 1941, in Middletown, Ohio. She was the loving daughter of James and Julia Miller.

Carlotta attended South Hagerstown (Md) High School and graduated in 1959. She then went to the University of Maryland, where she received her BS in Accounting in 1963.

She attended New York Law School and graduated with her JD in 1978. She was admitted to the New Jersey Bar Association on December 6, 1978.

Carlotta broke barriers and defied societal norms for women in her time. At the University of Maryland, one of her professors encouraged her to give up her pursuit of an accounting degree since "women did not make good accountants." When Carlotta began applying to law firms after receiving her JD, many male interviewers asked her first, "Who will be taking care of your family if you're working?" Tired of being asked the same irrelevant and sexist questions during each interview, she opened her own law firm in Madison, N.J. She quickly became a trusted businesswoman representing many local families and male-owned businesses. "She was a very talented lawyer with a fiercely bright mind."

After 35 years, she closed her practice in New Jersey and moved to New England to be closer to her family.

Carlotta loved to knit and was a voracious reader. Her hands were busiest around Christmas time, knitting gifts for family and friends and baking dozens of cookies. She could always be counted on in book club!

Carlotta loved her church and valued the community she found within it. She attended Grace Church in Madison, N.J., from 1973-2018. "She was a blessing to Grace Church in innumerable ways, serving on the Vestry and the Finance Committee, pitching in for countless events, and serving the Diocese of Newark in key leadership roles. She impacted and enriched so many parts of the Grace Church community."

She also found great comfort and community at St. Thomas Episcopal Church in Dover, when she moved there in 2018. Never slowing down, she was on the finance committee for St. Thomas and a delegate to the annual convention. Carlotta was also known for her superior baking skills!

Her noteworthy dedication to service and her community is also apparent among her many honorable positions held, such as Trustee of the Diocese of Newark with a lifetime appointment; Madison, NJ, YMCA Board of Directors from 1989-1995; former President of the Rotary Club of Madison, NJ; Legal Advisor to the Diocesan Court; and in 2015 she received the Caritas Award from the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth in recognition of her work and character.

Carlotta is predeceased by her parents, her sister Julie L. Miller, and her son James S. Budd. She is survived by her sister Judith R. Miller; her sons Robert T. Budd, his wife Julie Humphreys and children Emily Brenna, Tallulah, and Cyrus Budd; son Charles L. Budd and his wife Grace Lyons; daughter-in-law Susan Vogel and son Sammy Budd; granddogs Murphy, Sam Elliot, and Rover.