Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Carey Bolster. He is remembered fondly for his pioneering leadership in mathematics education. Thank you for sharing him with us at NCTM and with the mathematics education community. We are all better because of his impact. Trena Wilkerson, President, National Council of Teachers of Mathematics

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time.

Carey was always one of my favorite math people. His humor and understanding of the best way to teach mathematics resonated with me as I worked with him on projects. I am sad that he is no longer with us. Hugs to you, Cyrilla.

This is such a wonderful tribute to a one of a kind soul.  I am so glad the kids were able to spend time and say their good-byes. It was all about the people. Carey always brought together talented and interesting people and I consider myself incredibly blessed to call him a friend and the experiences and adventures that came from our connections.

Al Marklin sends his deepest sympathies as well.  We were sharing our memories this past weekend and what a great time we had when we visited you in Maryland.  Wow!  It was always an adventure.

NCTM has recognized Carey’s passing as well.  He is missed by the community.

 Sending all our love.

Carey was such a force of nature and a kind and giving person. I have so many wonderful memories of our times working together on PBS Mathline and Cyberchase. We owe so much of the success of the series and its impact on millions of kids to both you and Carey. But more importantly, we so enjoyed our friendship, times spent in NY and creative conversations. And a few trips to Broadway! And I always admired that you both have such a passion for teaching and learning. Of course, Carey would always light up a room with his laughter and smile. I know that your indelible love for Carey carried him through his illness. I send you my deepest sympathy and supportive thoughts. He will always have a place in our hearts.

He was such a good colleague and partner on the many projects that influenced our careers. However, it was not his brilliance in education or mathematics that I will remember most, it was his sense of humor and his fun loving personality that drew us all in. He taught us so much. I feel so bad for you and Carey’s daughter — our sadness can never equal your’s, but please remember the indelible mark that Carey made on the PBS Education division and on the people with whom he worked.

I am so sorry to hear about Carey’s passing. I have the best memories of working with him as we traveled across the country taping teachers modeling best practices. I had so much fun learning from him, and will treasure my memories of our collaboration on both Mathline and Cyberchase For Real.

I’m so grateful you both were an important part of my life.

I have very fond memories of working with him and you, and I could never understand why it all got cut short. 

Sending our love & prayers over the miles.

Cyrilla and family, all my prayers and thoughts Carey was one of a kind…I am sure you miss him greatly. A truly beautiful man and proud to have known him. God bless

To say Carey was “one of a kind” would be a HUGE understatement. He was kind, gentle, loving, humorous and a wealth of information. I loved the adventures and memories the four of us made together. Even if we did walk out of more shows than most people attend! 😊 I’m sure Greg was waiting at Heavens Gate for his buddy. God will have his hands full keeping an eye on all the “shenanigans” these two can get into. What one doesn’t think of, the other one does. Carey will be missed by all who knew him! Cyrilla and family, you are in my prayers for comfort at this sad time. I am here for whatever you need. XO PS……I hope Cyrilla has his pesto recipe!

Carey would sometimes call me up on the phone, and say, “Hey, Bridge, guess what I’m working on for Cyrilla…I’m cutting out hearts…one for every year we’ve been married.” Then, “oh, wait…here she comes, let me hide these…” He loved to share what surprises he was crafting to show his love to Cyrilla and his family members. He’d also text me to tell me things like, “Tomorrow is twosday 2.22.22,” or “Happy pi day on 3.14” and “Happy Triskaidecaphobia day.” I loved his jokes, like the one on ‘Easter Eve’ that went “Found an Easter egg hiding under the sofa…he was a little chicken I guess.” He had a special way of getting to know who a person. I remember when I visited him once, he looked at my shoes and gave me a funny look. He didn’t have to say, “Those don’t look like something you’d wear, Bridge.” I could tell from the expression on his face. When I showed up to work at PBS, I had better be ready. Carey had arrived there by 5am – a solid two or three hours before and was eager to get going! One thing I really appreciated about him was that he was always living in the moment. When teams were going on a “retreat” he said, “Retreat! Why retreat? Don’t you want to go forward?!? Let’s go to the art museum instead…” He adopted the song “What’s Going On?” by the 4 Non Blondes for our team song, which will always make me smile and laugh.

I selected some excerpts are from Carey’s book, ‘Hodgepodge’, for this memory honoring Carey Bolster and his legacy of learning, laughter and love… I lost my friend the other day. Where he went, I couldn’t say. “…On a new adventure,” his wife consoled, sharing peace with those who knew and loved his soul. I met my friend long ago. He had a gift of helping others grow. Of the many stories he’d tell, he wrote how, “Life is full of important ‘L’s…” Carey Bolster was the most creative mathematician I’ve ever met. He was an authentic leader with a passion for teaching and a unique lens on life. He was so fun to be with – always telling stories that connected people in the room and made them laugh and learn. He delighted in word play and humor. He detested squares and loved circles. He asked big questions, like “What is life?” and pondered: “Is life a circle, eternal, with no beginning or ending? Or is life a finite line with a precise beginning and an exact ending? Maybe a person’s time on earth is a portion of their eternal circle and what we experience we can only see as a line, due to our limited view.” He led by example and believed: “Leadership involves trust, building the expertise in others, and caring for those you are leading. We need to have true honest leaders step from the back of the room to the front. The red carpet of leadership reflecting respectful response dictates the route you must follow. […] Remember, you do not have to be in the front of the room to lead as the aura of leadership shines everywhere and does not create shadows.” When people noticed Carey was in the back of a room, as I had seen at large conferences we attended together, they would smile, energized, and seek him out. “Oh, it’s Carey! We have to talk to Carey!” It seemed that he knew everyone in the math community, and everyone knew him. He was well-respected and loved. Interacting with Carey gave one a deep sense of belonging. He would draw each person in by asking, “What do you think?” and “How are we going to solve this problem?” and “How can we teach this?” He valued their contributions. He would also test and challenge your answers and assumptions in replies like, “Well, we already know that…!” or, “Well, that’s not going to work, and here’s why…” and “Have you thought about this?” followed by, “What other ideas do you have?“ Or, “Aha! Now, here’s what we need to do!” Carey made each person on his teams and in his circles dig deeper, revisit problems, come up with lots of possible solutions and continue searching for new ideas to contribute! His humor and genuine care brought levity and playfulness to problem-solving. I am blessed and fortunate to have met Carey early in my career and found 24 years of learning, laughter, and love in my friendship with him and his wife, Cyrilla.

We will always remember Carey’s smile, his incredible wit and his zest for life. From the Olden Days (RennFest) to the New Days Ahead (our wedding). He was always ready to celebrate. May many happy memories sustain you. 

I first met Carey Bolster sometime in the 1980s at a committee meeting of supervisors and coordinators of mathematics at a National Council Teachers of Mathematics conference. We not only ran into one another at such meetings over the next twenty-some years, we also published with the same company. But it’s one encounter that stands out in my memory: in 2006 Carey was to receive a prestigious award at a national conference. By that time, Carey was a rather casual guy from Florida, and he hadn’t brought along a sport coat, which would have been appropriate dress for an awardee. When Carey stepped forward to receive the first award, I offered, and he laughingly accepted, the loan of my sport coat. We joked about that occasion for years after. I miss him.