Author Carol Sisler, of Ithaca, N.Y., passed away peacefully in her sleep on Sunday, October 25. Carol was a founding resident at Kendal of Ithaca, where she lived for the past 30 years with her husband Professor Daniel G. Sisler, who predeceased her in 2016. Carol moved to Ithaca in 1960 with her husband who was earning his doctorate at Cornell. She became a presence in the community as a dynamic historic preservationist and author of three books on local history.

Born in Washington, D.C. of Frederick Untiedt and Eleanor Untiedt, Carol attended Bethesda Chevy Chase High School before moving west to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where she graduated in 1951. She launched her writing career at the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, and while in Colorado she fell in love with downhill skiing, which became a lifelong passion. She was a regular presence at Greek Peak in the winter months with her two boys and a community of local ski diehards.

In the 1970s, Carol was director of the group Historic Ithaca and in this role she spearheaded the preservation of the Clinton House. The downtown landmark was neglected and set to be torn down when Historic Ithaca purchased and renovated it. She also preserved and restored other properties, including an historic pottery at the base of Ithaca Falls. She traveled around New York State representing Historic Ithaca and advocating for the preservation of endangered buildings.

Carol was a lifelong writer and journaler who is best-known locally for her book Cayuga Lake: Past, Present and Future published in 1989. The comprehensive chronicle of Cayuga Lake’s natural environment and social history continues to be a valuable source for those who live, work and recreate around the iconic lake.

In her later years when she was not gardening, Carol traveled extensively both as an avid birder, she was on the board of directors at the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, and a cruise ship patron which took her on months-long voyages across all parts of the globe. She logged many miles across dozens of countries where she collected a trove of exotic goods for her home and family.

Carol is survived by her son Stephen D. Sisler of Waterbury Center, Vermont and Peter F. Sisler of Chevy Chase, Maryland, and three grandsons, Nick, Luke and Lewis.