Caroline R. Chiarello; Church Volunteer

Caroline Rosemarie Chiarello, a 19-year resident of Newbury Park, has died at the age of 81.

Chiarello, who died Sunday, was born Aug. 18, 1916, in Buffalo, N.Y. She moved to California in 1962 and to Newbury Park in 1979. Chiarello worked for 13 years as a supervisor in Woodland Hills at the Litton Federal Credit Union.

While living in Buffalo, Chiarello was president of the Kensington Service Club and was twice named the club’s Woman of the Year, her family said.

In Newbury Park, Chiarello was active in the Ladies Altar Society at St. Julie Billiart Catholic Church. In 1983, she started the church’s first sewing group to benefit a parish construction fund. That same year, Chiarello also organized the church’s first support group for widows.

Chiarello was preceded in death by her husband of 45 years, Frank August Chiarello.

Chiarello enjoyed writing poetry, making arts and crafts, travel, music and charity work.

Mass will be said at 1 p.m. today at St. Julie Billiart Church, and burial will follow at Assumption Catholic Cemetery in Simi Valley. Pierce Brothers Griffin Mortuary in Thousand Oaks is handling the arrangements.

In lieu of flowers, the family asked that people make a donation to the charity of their choice.