Carole Lynn Mercaldo, a former staff member in accounting at Penn’s Division of Facilities and Real Estate Services (FRES), died unexpectedly on July 29. She was 60. 

Ms. Mercaldo received a degree in accounting in 1986 from Rider University. She worked as an accountant and a supervisor at General Accident Insurance Company, CGU Life Insurance Company, and Trammel Crow Higher Education Service before joining Penn’s staff in 2000. While working in Penn’s FRES division, Ms. Mercaldo became a trusted source of knowledge, leading a staff of seven, training 15 new staff members, and spearheading the division’s transition to new timekeeping systems. In 2019, she left Penn to become an accounting consultant at Resources Global Professionals (RGP). 

“Carole was a kind and giving woman, spending time with family and friends offering a listening ear, solid advice, a warm hug or a delightful lunch,” said Ms. Mercaldo’s family in an online tribute. “She loved to travel visiting her favorite places, Yellowstone National Park, New England, and beyond. She was whip smart and applied this intelligence to her accounting job as well as mentally storing fine details of everyone’s lives. Pop ’70s was Carole’s favorite music and she loved to laugh, to the point her whole body would shake.” 

She is survived by her daughter, Sabrina; mother, Jean; sisters, Suzanne and Marie (Giovanni); and nephew, Nick Ingegneri. A visitation was held on August 4. In lieu of flowers, donations in Ms. Mercaldo’s memory can be made to Mayan Families: Natun Guatemala, https://natunguatemala.org/.