Carol Ross Linfoot

Carol Ross Linfoot

February 3, 1942 – January 23, 2026

Carol Ross Linfoot, 83, passed away peacefully on Friday, January 23, 2026, after a courageous battle with Parkinsonian dementia. She was surrounded by her two children their spouse, and her grandchildren.

Born in Albany, New York, she was the daughter of Archibald Laird Ross and Katharine (Kay) Ross. In 1946, the family moved to Brazil and Costa Rica, where Carol discovered her love of languages, becoming fluent in Spanish. After grade school, her family returned to Pennsylvania, where Carol graduated from Radnor High School in Radnor, PA.

During her senior year of high school, Carol sang with an all-female quartet, “The Devonaire’s,” releasing songs through Devon Records — “Indian Summer” (Devon, 1960) and “Letters From You” (Devon, 1960), which have been archived by The South Philly Record in Philadelphia to preserve the music of that era. They can be enjoyed on YouTube today. Music was not just a hobby for Carol; it was a lifelong joy that continued into her later years, including performing with the Chester Choral Society. Her favorite performance was Handel’s Messiah during the holidays.

She attended the University of Colorado in Boulder for nursing until she met the love of her life, Benjamin, and decided to get married.

With her love of languages, she later pursued a career in linguistics, earning her master’s degree while raising her young family. She graduated with a Master’s in Applied Linguistics from Queens College, City University of New York, in 1985. On many occasions, her children were part of her lesson plans, filling out worksheets on grammar and punctuation while discussing her teaching plans for the week.

Carol was predeceased by her beloved husband, Benjamin Rastall Linfoot, who passed away from cancer in 1999. She is survived by her two children, Tracy Kincaid and Kendle Arcidiacono (Tony). She was also the proud grandmother of Allison Arcidiacono and Ashley Arcidiacono, who were her pride and joy.

She is also survived by her beloved siblings,  Katharine Cole, Robin Schoen and her brother John Ross (predeceased). 

With her husband Ben by her side, both were deeply committed to their church community at St. Asaph’s. Over the years, they served in many capacities, including vestry, choir, and coordinating holiday events. Following Ben’s passing, Carol remained active at St. Asaph’s, serving on the Altar Guild and hosting dinners and coffee hour. St. Asaph’s always held a special place in her heart — it is where Carol and Ben exchanged vows and where their two daughters were baptized and married.

She will be remembered for her love of all sports — especially her love of tennis — and for the simple joys that filled her days: games of Scrabble and Mahjong with friends, gatherings with her Spanish and Garden Clubs, and faithfully completing her daily New York Times crossword puzzle.

Carol served as Assistant Director of the English Language Academy at Harcum College in Bryn Mawr, PA, from 1989 to 2012, when she retired. She will be remembered for her love of teaching and her kindness to her students through the years.

She was a class act whose politeness and kind demeanor will live on forever in her family and in all who knew her.

Funeral Arrangements: Saturday, March 28, 10:00 A.M. Service, St. Asaph’s Church; 27 Conshohocken State Road, Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004 Burial to follow at 11:30 A.M. at West Laurel Hill Cemetery, Bala Cynwyd, PA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in memory of Carol Ross Linfoot to The Michael J. Fox Foundation to support Parkinson’s research.