Caroline was born in Paia Maui Te, Hawaii County, Hawaii, the third of six children born to James Albert Gibb and Tallulah Bair Sinclair. She attended primary school in Wailulku, Hawaii. Later she attended Los Gatos High School, in California, where she graduated with honors, winning the Dr. Edwin E. Miller Cup in a public speaking contest. She also led the debating team. From a young age Caroline had her sights set on working for the State Department. She entered San Jose State University, majoring in history and Spanish with the hope this would help lead to a diplomatic position. In her sophomore year she transferred to Dominican College on a full academic scholarship, earning her BA degree in 1941. She earned a General Secondary degree in 1942 and was recruited by the Justice Department (FBI) in San Francisco in a clerical position. Following two years of teaching history and Spanish at Oakdale High School, Caroline was to finally start her overseas duties via an assignment with the Red Cross in Italy. Her work with the Red Cross entailed travel over most of Italy as well as to the Isle of Capri.
After her return to the USA in late 1947 Caroline spent a year in further preparation for a career in the State Department. Her foreign service began with an assignment to the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt from 1949 to 1952. She added to her language skills while there by studying Arabic.
Her duties overseas entailed a great deal of flying around post war Europe in a C-47 aircraft, commonly referred to as the "Goonie Bird". This led to her siblings nick-naming her "Goonie" and the name stuck with her all her life.
In late 1952 she was assigned to Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She described her time there as "very exciting and every day was an adventure." During this tour she met a young writer, Alexander Arsenijevic whom she married two years later. In 1954 she was transferred to Vienna, Austria. She would modestly point out "I was never a foreign service officer" and that in Vienna she described her work as "doing biographical sketches for the CIA."
In 1956, upon learning of her mother suffering a stroke in California, she immediately left Europe to care for her.
Eight years later Caroline began teaching in primary and secondary schools in north-central California and continued to do so for 20+ years. She was also a resource specialist for the Modoc District Indian Education Program.
After her return to the USA in late 1947 Caroline spent a year in further preparation for a career in the State Department. Her foreign service began with an assignment to the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt from 1949 to 1952. She added to her language skills while there by studying Arabic.
Her duties overseas entailed a great deal of flying around post war Europe in a C-47 aircraft, commonly referred to as the "Goonie Bird". This led to her siblings nick-naming her "Goonie" and the name stuck with her all her life.
In late 1952 she was assigned to Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She described her time there as "very exciting and every day was an adventure." During this tour she met a young writer, Alexander Arsenijevic whom she married two years later. In 1954 she was transferred to Vienna, Austria. She would modestly point out "I was never a foreign service officer" and that in Vienna she described her work as "doing biographical sketches for the CIA."
In 1956, upon learning of her mother suffering a stroke in California, she immediately left Europe to care for her.
Eight years later Caroline began teaching in primary and secondary schools in north-central California and continued to do so for 20+ years. She was also a resource specialist for the Modoc District Indian Education Program.
Caroline was born in Paia Maui Te, Hawaii County, Hawaii, the third of six children born to James Albert Gibb and Tallulah Bair Sinclair. She attended primary school in Wailulku, Hawaii. Later she attended Los Gatos High School, in California, where she graduated with honors, winning the Dr. Edwin E. Miller Cup in a public speaking contest. She also led the debating team. From a young age Caroline had her sights set on working for the State Department. She entered San Jose State University, majoring in history and Spanish with the hope this would help lead to a diplomatic position. In her sophomore year she transferred to Dominican College on a full academic scholarship, earning her BA degree in 1941. She earned a General Secondary degree in 1942 and was recruited by the Justice Department (FBI) in San Francisco in a clerical position. Following two years of teaching history and Spanish at Oakdale High School, Caroline was to finally start her overseas duties via an assignment with the Red Cross in Italy. Her work with the Red Cross entailed travel over most of Italy as well as to the Isle of Capri.
After her return to the USA in late 1947 Caroline spent a year in further preparation for a career in the State Department. Her foreign service began with an assignment to the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt from 1949 to 1952. She added to her language skills while there by studying Arabic.
Her duties overseas entailed a great deal of flying around post war Europe in a C-47 aircraft, commonly referred to as the "Goonie Bird". This led to her siblings nick-naming her "Goonie" and the name stuck with her all her life.
In late 1952 she was assigned to Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She described her time there as "very exciting and every day was an adventure." During this tour she met a young writer, Alexander Arsenijevic whom she married two years later. In 1954 she was transferred to Vienna, Austria. She would modestly point out "I was never a foreign service officer" and that in Vienna she described her work as "doing biographical sketches for the CIA."
In 1956, upon learning of her mother suffering a stroke in California, she immediately left Europe to care for her.
Eight years later Caroline began teaching in primary and secondary schools in north-central California and continued to do so for 20+ years. She was also a resource specialist for the Modoc District Indian Education Program.
After her return to the USA in late 1947 Caroline spent a year in further preparation for a career in the State Department. Her foreign service began with an assignment to the American Embassy in Cairo, Egypt from 1949 to 1952. She added to her language skills while there by studying Arabic.
Her duties overseas entailed a great deal of flying around post war Europe in a C-47 aircraft, commonly referred to as the "Goonie Bird". This led to her siblings nick-naming her "Goonie" and the name stuck with her all her life.
In late 1952 she was assigned to Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She described her time there as "very exciting and every day was an adventure." During this tour she met a young writer, Alexander Arsenijevic whom she married two years later. In 1954 she was transferred to Vienna, Austria. She would modestly point out "I was never a foreign service officer" and that in Vienna she described her work as "doing biographical sketches for the CIA."
In 1956, upon learning of her mother suffering a stroke in California, she immediately left Europe to care for her.
Eight years later Caroline began teaching in primary and secondary schools in north-central California and continued to do so for 20+ years. She was also a resource specialist for the Modoc District Indian Education Program.
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