James (“Michael”) Powers Carroll, of South Hero, Vt., died gently in his sleep after a brief illness on July 28, 2025, at the University of Vermont Medical Center. Raised in Scarsdale, N.Y., the youngest of three boys, Michael came to Vermont for college in 1963 and fell in love with the state, spending the next 60 years trying to become a Vermonter.
He married Pamela Surprenant in 1966 and welcomed a son, Ian, later that year and a daughter, Caitlin, in 1970. Divorced in 1974, Michael spent the next 20 years working in construction and living a solitary life.
Always one for a complex project, Michael was proud of his lasting impact on buildings around the state and beyond, including the Mahaney Arts Center at Middlebury College, the Vermont Pub & Brewery, and countless home renovations on the East Coast. He specialized in finish work and historic restoration.
On December 25, 1988, Michael committed to a sober life and over the next two years found his way back to his children and extended family. He never took for granted the joy he found in being allowed back into and connecting with family.
He moved to South Hero in 2017 into a house that he and Pamela shared, finding renewed purpose in volunteering with the South Hero Bicentennial Museum and the restoration of the Old White Meeting House in South Hero. He was the current president of the South Hero Foundation. He loved the beauty of the islands and the generosity of spirit he found in their residents.
Michael was a lover of words, crosswords, puzzles, sports, music of all kinds (preferably played loudly!), snack food, chocolate, ice cream and, with a devotion unmatched by truly anyone else, Busch NA beer. More than anything, however, he loved people. He had a gift for forming genuine connections and collected friends wherever he went.
Above all, he was deeply proud of his children and found immense joy in their lives, partners and families. As the seriousness of his illness became clear, he reflected on a lifetime of building projects and found comfort in the idea that he would know when his project was complete. In his final days, he listened to his favorite pieces of music, watched baseball, lamented the news, talked about important books, expressed his love clearly, and passed away peacefully, with his son and daughter by his side.
Michael is survived by Pamela; his son, Ian Carroll, wife Tammy (Rowe), and their children, Savannah (Sam) and Isabella (Izzy); and his daughter, Caitlin Oppenheimer, husband Chad, and their children, Eliza, Adam and Charlotte. He was predeceased by his beloved granddaughter Addison Carroll and his two older brothers, Richard (“Dick”) and Vincent.
A celebration of his life will be held at a later date. Donations in his name may be made to the South Hero Foundation, PO Box 441, South Hero, VT 05486-0441.
This article appears in Seven Daysies 2025.