Caren Gaiman Fairweather, a 38-year resident of New Paltz and formerly of Warwick, NY passed away in the early morning of Monday, November 24, 2025 at home surrounded by her family.
The great passion of her life was family. She was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Beyond that, she infused every aspect of her life with love and kindness. She had a wonderful sense of humor, was incredibly generous, and was deeply loved by so many. In her personal life, a generation of young women and men received the support, guidance and loving acceptance they needed to make the transition to adulthood.
Caren’s professional career left a legacy of programs and projects enabling families to live more humane and creative lives. She served as executive director of the Maternal Infant Services Network and made important contributions to the fields of public health in our region. Her work with the BOCES system built nationally recognized innovative programs for both children and adults. She began her working life as a fabric artist, an elementary school teacher, an accomplished professional chef, a yoga instructor and a life coach. Caren had recently resumed her artistic practice, exploring abstract expressionism through multiple media.
Caren was also active in community life, serving on a number of boards and volunteering for such organizations as the Elting Library, Historic Huguenot Street, the Margaret Wade Lewis Center, and others.
She is survived by her husband Peter Fairweather, daughters Noel Raley (Michael Dunkerley) and Anya Raley (Matthew Laffer), grandchildren Maeve Dunkerley and Roan Dunkerley, and cat Jasper, along with her sister Amy Pekoe Renz and numerous cousins, nephews and nieces.
A celebration of Caren’s life will be held at Garvan’s Event Space at 215 Huguenot Street in New Paltz on Saturday, November 29 at 12:30.
Join the family! 
