In early 2020, the Northwest Corner lost a friend, a business owner, and a champion of local community. Carl Muller passed away at his home in Florida, a loss for all who knew him and for many who never met him, but who benefitted from his generosity. For Carl Muller and his wife, Cara, there was no place like home. And, home no matter where life took them, was Torrington—the town where Carl grew up, where he and Cara built several successful businesses, and where they raised their two children.
Cara and Carl met while attending New England College in New Hampshire. The two married in 1971, and opened the first of many successful businesses in Torrington. The Spring Tree Lounge on South Main Street welcomed locals for food and libations in the early 1970s. With their first child on the way, Cara and Carl sold The Spring Tree Lounge and joined the True Value co-op, opening Carl’s True Value on North Elm Street. Shortly after, they established Carl’s Carpet One on Winsted Road. Over decades of managing businesses in Torrington, the Mullers regularly donated to local school PTOs, Cub Scouts, the Torrington-Winsted Rotary and Fire Department fundraisers, and supported the Community Kitchen of Torrington.
The Mullers have been in business in Torrington for more than 40 years. “The town has always supported us in our businesses. And, we have always supported local town fundraisers,” said Carl. ”They need the support.”
The people and organizations in this town are gracious and generous. The community has always supported us. It’s time to give back to the community.
In May of 2004, the Mullers learned just how supportive their community could be. Late in the evening, their home caught fire. Staff and volunteer firefighters ensured that the Mullers were safe and worked through the night to contain the blaze. The next morning at 9:00a.m. firefighters handed Carl an envelope. Inside was almost $300 in cash collected from the Germania Club.
“The people and organizations in this town are gracious and generous,” said Carl. “The community has always supported us. It’s time to give back to the community.”
In 2006, The Mullers established the Northwest CT Community Foundation Cara and Carl Muller Fund for Community Support. Through their donor-advised fund, the Mullers supported projects and causes that reflect their love of Torrington. The fund has supported the Torrington Parks and Recreation Department’s Pageant of Drums, an event that invites residents
to watch local drum corps, including Connecticut Hurricanes Drum Corps, St. Peter’s Drum Corps, and the Torrington High School Band, which will perform in Fuessenich Park.
A recent grant to the Torrington Historical Society enabled the purchase of a book of more than 80 historical photographs of Torrington storefronts, events and streetscapes from 1915-1930. The photos were taken by Charles Harris, a sign painter of that time.
There are plenty of areas in the world that need assistance,” said Cara. “But there is nothing like giving back to the people in your own community.
When Carl passed away in June of 2020, family and friends continued Carl’s legacy of generosity by making more than $3,000 in gifts to the Cara and Carl Muller Fund for Community Support.
“Carl’s passing is sadly felt by all of us who knew him,” said Northwest CT Community Foundation president Guy Rovezzi. “The Mullers’ affable nature and giving spirit embody the true meaning of community goodwill. A visit to their home immediately reveals that all who enter are treated like family. Carl’s and Cara’s warmth, exemplified through the admirable qualities of kindness and compassion found in their loving children, Corey and Erin, is a true reflection of their legacy. For the Mullers, you can make others happy by being generous, but—when all is said and done—the happiness you make is mostly your own.”
“There are plenty of areas in the world that need assistance,” said Cara. “But there is nothing like giving back to the people in your own community.”
