Carroll O. (Olton) Labarthe

Carroll Olton Labarthe lived. She lived without fear of life’s finality, that eventually visited her in the early morning hours of December 7th.  Her daughter, son, loving friends and Longwood at Oakmont associates were with her in her final quiet hours.

Carroll was born in Newark, New Jersey in 1937 to Charles Peirce Olton and Bernice Shaw Olton. She grew up with her brother Charles Olton and sister Christina Olton in Newton, Massachusetts. There Carroll developed her passion for the arts as a musician, playing the violin, piano and organ.

Carroll majored in Music and was Phi Beta Kappa at Cornell University, where she met her husband and love of her life, Jules “Jay” Labarthe. The couple moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where Carroll received a Masters degree in Library Sciences from The University of Pittsburgh. She and Jay began a family in Fox Chapel, with the birth of their daughter Leslie Labarthe Coyle, followed by their son, Jules Labarthe. When their kids were grown, Carroll and Jay moved to Ligonier and later to Longwood at Oakmont.

Carroll taught music to young people in the Fox Chapel area and was an active member of the community. She expanded her means of artistic expression through her fiber art pieces that have graced the walls of homes and public spaces throughout the region.

She was an adventurer as well, hiking through the backcountry of National Parks in the US and Canada with her family and traveling the world as an avid birder. She always had a long list of art projects she was working on and always had plans for another expedition. She had an ease with people that made her fast friends with many with whom she shared her love and energetic laugh.

Carroll spent her last years living at Longwood at Oakmont with her husband Jay. They were inseparable— friends commented on their closeness and that they seemed always to be walking hand in hand. They shared sixty-four years of marriage before Jay passed away earlier this year.

At Longwood, Carroll was also surrounded by so many friends, new and old, with whom she remained active and joyful. She is survived by her daughter Leslie (Gregory) Coyle, her son Jules (Jennifer) Labarthe and her granddaughter Chloe Labarthe. She is also survived by her brother Charles (Barbara) Olton, sister Christina (Steven Salmon) Olton and their children and grandchildren.

Carroll’s children wish to thank her neighbors and the staff at Longwood for the care and love they shared with their mother, especially in her last months.

A Memorial Service will be held in Carroll’s honor on Saturday, May 24, 2025, 11 a.m. at Calvary Episcopal Church, 315 Shady Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15206. Carroll would appreciate donations in her memory to CORE/Center for Organ Recovery and Education.

Arrangements by Weddell-Ajak Funeral Home, Aspinwall.

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