Obituary of Carol Anne Bues

July 19, 2026

Carol Anne Bues of Manhattan died July 19, 2026 after a lengthy illness, leaving a legacy of caring service and abundant zest for life. Born in Brooklyn in 1966, she was the beloved daughter of NYPD Detective Philip Bues, mother, Jeanne Gray, stepmother, Susan Bues and stepfather, Floyd Gray.

A practicing midwife and tenured lecturer in Nursing at Lehman College, she also taught as an adjunct faculty professor at CUNY Hunter Bellevue School of Nursing. Carol’s first passions were fashion and theater. She attended New York University for theater then transferred to the Fashion Institute of Technology studying fashion design. A great theater enthusiast throughout her life, she saw every play she could fit into her busy life, in both New York and London where she lived for over a year.

There was a significant turning point in her life when she took the opportunity to volunteer at Harlem Hospital, helping care for babies born of mothers with drug addiction, the AIDS virus, or both. It was this experience and recognizing the vulnerability of these women that inspired her to become a midwife. Carol started her medical training at Hunter College, where she graduated in 1997 with a degree in Nursing. By 2001 she had earned a Master’s degree in Midwifery from SUNY Downstate in Brooklyn and then a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from SUNY Stony Brook in 2019.

After working at both Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan and Brookdale Hospital in Brooklyn, Carol wanted to offer an alternative to hospital births. As a partner in a private practice in midwifery, she joyfully delivered hundreds of babies in their family homes throughout four of the five boroughs of New York City until her illness.

Never needing an excuse to celebrate, Carol cherished her family, especially spending holiday gatherings with her siblings and cousins and visiting a family camp in the Adirondacks.  Carol introduced her children to the world by traveling with them extensively and often brought along a niece or a cousin. She traveled extensively in the U.K and other parts of Europe, memorably touching down in Germany in 1989 to see the Berlin Wall being demolished. She also traveled to Japan, the Caribbean, Iceland, and Thailand. She had friends in many of these far-flung locations and her travels were enriched greatly by her international circle of friends, especially her dear friend Araxi, a Londoner.

Carol’s unshakable positive attitude throughout her life, including during her long illness, was evident to everyone. There wasn’t much to bring her down. Her curiosity and interest in others despite her own very great discomfort were truly admirable and inspiring. She weathered debilitation and continued pursuing her varied interests with good  humor long past what may have been possible for others.

Carol is survived by her daughter, Angelina Egan of New York City; her son, Declan Egan of St. Petersburg, FL; sisters Jeannie and Christine, brother John and their families; stepmother Susan, stepchildren Jillian, Jase, Jackie and their father, Jim Egan; and the many aunts, uncles, cousins and nieces and nephews she adored, as well as many friends from all over the world. She is predeceased by her parents and stepfather. The family is grateful to all those who devotedly cared for Carol over the last months.

All are welcome to a Funeral Mass which will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, 2026 at Church of St. Paul the Apostle, 405 Ninth Ave. in Manhattan. Reception will follow.

Donations in Carol’s memory can be made to The Purple Leash Project.