Carolyn Cassaday, beloved daughter of Dr. C.E. and Barbara Cassaday of Mt. Vernon, passed away on September 20, 2025, at the age of 80 in Paris, France, attended by her life-long companion, Dr. Michel Kniazeff.
Born and raised in Mt. Vernon, Carolyn attended local schools before graduating from Middlebury College in Vermont as valedictorian. She later pursued studies at the Sorbonne in Paris on a Fulbright scholarship. It was during a Christmas visit to St. Petersburg in 1965 that she met Michel, with whom she would share a rich and devoted partnership for the next 60 years.
Carolyn’s career included work with both French and American companies before she joined Michel in assisting with his medical practice and lectures on the anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner. Those who knew her were deeply inspired by her strength and grace. Following a life-changing auto accident in 1977 that left her partially paralyzed, she nonetheless embraced life with humor, resilience, and a spirited curiosity. She delighted in long conversations, outings to museums and cafés, archery contests, and summers by the sea.
In her final days, Carolyn was at peace, grateful for the beautiful life she shared with the man she loved. Her memorial service was held at Père Lachaise Cemetery in Paris on September 26, 2025.
She is survived by her sister, Christine Cassaday Curtis, and two nieces, Cathleen Curtis of New York and Caren Curtis of California. She is also remembered with affection by her lifelong friend, Paula Mickle Young, who captured a treasured photograph of Carolyn in Paris in 2007.
