Carolyn House Ferguson

Carolyn House Ferguson, 78, passed away on November 15, 2023, after a heroic, lengthy health battle. She was a beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and cousin and now is reunited with her husband, Bruce Ferguson, who predeceased her. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 6, 2024, at 11a.m. at the Glen Ridge Congregational Church with an interment following in the Spring of 2024 in the Church’s “Garden of Memory.” In the last months of her life, Carolyn defied all medical odds and expectations by returning to her home where she was happiest.
Carolyn was born in Vandalia, Illinois on Feb. 9th, 1945, and was the first of three children of the late Helen and William House. Carolyn attended the University of Illinois Experimental High School, graduating Class of 1963, and then graduated from The University of Illinois with a B.A. in English in 1967. Her family had extensive roots in Southern Illinois as corn and soy farmers and she remained deeply proud of her “Illinois farm girl” identity. Indeed she remained an owner of one of her family’s Illinois’ farms throughout her life.
After college, she moved to New York City where she began her career in journalism as a researcher for CBS in 1968. It was there, during a fortuitous company softball game, that she met her future husband of 42 years, Bruce. They were married atop Mount Greylock in the New England Berkshires in 1971. Along with other pioneering feminists of the early 70s, Carolyn defied the glass ceiling by working her way up the ranks at CBS eventually becoming an Executive Producer of “CBS Morning News.” She produced for Diane Sawyer, Dan Rather, and Charlie Osgood until retiring in 1984 to raise her two daughters in Glen Ridge, NJ.
Carolyn was an avid gardener, an expert home chef, a creative and gregarious entertainer and always deeply connected to her family and community. She gave of her time and energy in all facets of her daughters’ lives from leading Girl Scout troops to organizing church youth groups.
Her strong dedication to community and service to others led her to a second act of tireless volunteerism as an EMT with the Glen Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Squad. She later became Captain of the squad, then followed this by becoming Glen Ridge Police Commissioner and a Glen Ridge Town Councilwoman. And she managed to extend her love of journalism by helping to found the town’s newspaper “The Glen Ridge Voice.”
Carolyn is survived by her daughters Alissa Phillips and Blythe Emigholz; her six grandchildren: Munro (17), Teagan (16), and Hunsley Phillips (11), and Isla (13), Stellan (9), and Everett (7) Emigholz; her sister, Carla House, her aunt Norma Elet, and cousin Yvonne Elet. Although we grieve her passing, Carolyn’s determination and strength will always be an inspiration and blessing to us all. In lieu of flowers memorial donations can be sent to the Glen Ridge Volunteer Ambulance Squad –https://www.grvas.org/donate.