Remembering Beloved Lighthouse Friend Carol Lader

The Lighthouse’s light is a little dimmer as we share the passing of our great friend and supporter, Carol Lader.  

Carol and the entire Lader Family have been part of The Lighthouse community for more than 20 years. Her husband, Marvin, sits on our Board of Trustees, and her grandson, Daniel, works in our Adult Living Skills Program. The Lader Family also generously endows The Chicago Lighthouse’s Lader Family Scholarship Program, which provides financial assistance to Illinois students who are blind or visually impaired. Since 2004, the Lader Family Scholarship Program has awarded over $1 million to more than 800 students seeking associate’s, bachelors, master’s and doctoral degrees, as well as those seeking professional certificates that can enhance their employment opportunities.  

Carol was born in Akron, Ohio, in 1936, and attended Western Reserve University in Cleveland. After graduating with a degree in art history, she married Marvin Lader and settled in Cleveland, where she became an interior designer and collector of early American furniture and furnishings. In addition, she was a loving mother to Deborah, David and Ellen, and grandmother of seven: Evan, Daniel, Linnea, Noah, Elijah, Jonah and Hannah.  

Carol was also a gifted printmaker, painter and multimedia artist with studios in Chicago and Naples, Florida. “I will miss our moments shared in the zone of artmaking,” shared her daughter Deborah, who is also an artist and musician. “When she painted, she left the meticulous way she kept her orderly house behind and went to town reassembling bits of old prints, paintings and found materials, in a messy whirlwind of expression.”  

In addition to her support of The Lighthouse, Carol also served on the board of Montefiore Home, where she was also consulted on accessible design for Alzheimer’s residents and was a Lifetime Honorary Trustee of Milestones Autism Resources in Cleveland, which offers education and guidance to families with members on the autism spectrum.  

Carol was a much-loved member of The Lighthouse community and will be forever remembered for her kindness and ability to light up any room with her warm smile and generous personality. She will be deeply missed by everyone who was fortunate enough to have known her. Our deepest condolences to the Lader Family and all who loved Carol.