 Carlotta (Alma) Gonzales Lahey is primarily known as Carlotta (Alma Lahey) Gonzales
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This biography from the Archives of AskART:
| The following biography is from Michael Little.
Carlotta Gonzales Lahey - ne Alma Gonzales and nicknamed "Happy"was my great aunt, sister of my grandmother Evelyn Gonzales.
She was born to Anthony Manuel Fernandez Gonzales and Netty Rivers, and while born in NC was raised in Jacksonville FL with her only sibling Evelyn who was five years older. Both Carlotta and Evelyn have the distinction of being the first female lifeguards in the US - a film of the two posing as such can be seen at the Red Cross Headquarters in DC.
Carlotta met and married her husband Richard Lahey when she was a student at the Art Students League in NYC in 1929; she had changed her name from Alma to Carlotta because she felt it reflected her Spanish roots and sensibilities - though she neglected to advise her parents of this change or in fact that she had secretly married her teacher Richard Lahey, who was 20 years her senior. A family battle 'royale' followed ---Carlotta was only matched by her mother in terms of high temper.
She was accompanied to NYC by her mother Netty, who somehow had ineffectively chaperoned her through her time at the Art League. Carlotta was a sculptress and collaborated with Richard Lahey on the Pearl Harbor memorial frescos in Hawaii - these did not survive the weather and were later replaced.
In the 30s she and her husband left DC, where Richard was president of the Corcoran Art School, to move to a 45 acre site with a house built in 1760 in Vienna VA. She and Richard avidly collected early American furniture dishes and household items. This house, the remaining 22.75 acres and contents along with the requisite funds were left to the National Park Service and is now known as Lahey Lost Valley Park.
In the 1950s for a period of time, Carlotta Gonzales reportedly taught sculpture at Goucher College, then a women's college.
Carlotta and Richard were childless and remained distant from all family members. She was prone to migraines and was know for her black moods and imperious behavior.
Richard died in 1974 as I remember. Carolotta died in February 1999 at 89 years old, and was survived by two nieces and one nephew, who were the parents to three great nieces and eight great nephews as well as several great, great nieces and nephews. Her great, great niece Evelyn attended Goucher college where Richard Lahey often lectured and Carlotta taught sculpture in the 50's - Evelyn is now graduate student at SCAD completing her masters in painting.
Carlotta kept a healthy distance with her family - who based on her foul temper and imperious approach were more than happy to maintain. Her nieces and nephew were shocked to receive a sum of money from her estate upon her death.
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