Carlota J Danforth

On May 6th, 2025, Carlota Jouvon Poetzscher Danforth passed away in Houston, TX, at 75. Carlota was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1950. She grew up with her mother, Armenia Jouvon, and father, Carlos Poetzcher, in a family of Portuguese, French, and German descent. Her childhood was filled with memories of traveling between the coastal cities of Bahia and Rio and living briefly in the mountain town of Petropolis. For most of her youth, she attended a Catholic School operated by the sisters of Our Lady of Sion, who gave her a memorable education, shaped her worldviews, and provided life-long friendships. At fifteen, Carlota moved to New York City with her mother. She quickly began working for the Brazilian oil company Petrobras, which opened the door to her finding employment with U.S. oil and gas companies in the city. While working at Shell and Texaco, she obtained her Bachelor of Science degree from Fordham University and a Master of Science in Marine Transportation from SUNY Maritime College. Carlota was among the first two women to receive a graduate degree from SUNY Maritime College, a fitting achievement reflecting her independence as a career woman in the 1970s. When she wasn’t in school or work, Carlota spent her time traveling domestically and abroad and competing locally in sailboat races in the Long Island Sound. In 1984, Carlota married Alfred Danforth, who became her spouse of nearly forty years. Together, she and Al moved to Houston, Texas, and raised two children, Elizabeth and Jonathan. After Jonathan’s birth, Carlota chose to stay at home to raise the kids and manage the household. Carlota made the family’s house a true home by cultivating gardens, preparing home-cooked meals, and keeping everyone in the house organized to a tee! Carlota’s favorite memories were spending time on the water with her loved ones. Growing up near Brazil's coast, the ocean always made her feel at home. Sailboat racing was her way of embracing this when she lived in New York City, but when she met Alfred, she was introduced to the world of fishing. She often shared a fond memory of going out in Alfred's red canoe for the first time on a lake north of the city. They sat in the canoe for hours, fishing lines in the water, enjoying the silence. She would chuckle when she told this story, sharing, “He told her, ‘Shh - we have to be quiet - you don’t want to scare the fish!’” She asked, "How do you know there are fish here?" And he whispered, "You can hear them..." In the years that followed, almost every family vacation revolved around forming special memories near the water. One of Carlota’s favorite books was The Little Prince. She had a figurine of the prince by her vanity mirror in her bedroom, which a nun had crafted for her and her classmates after they read the book in school. She gave the book to her children and often quoted the anecdotal lessons shared within it - like we must cultivate love the way you would care for a rose. In later years, she reflected that Alfred’s encouragement helped her become an avant-gardener, which she embraced as a labor of love, somewhat poetically. Carlota leaves behind a legacy of connection with family and friends worldwide. From her family and classmates in Brazil to her New York City colleagues, to other Houston families, to her deep connection to Alfred’s family tree, Carlota will be dearly missed.

Carlota J Danforth

April 17, 1950 - May 6, 2025