In July 1986, Best Plumbing Specialties moved its warehouse operations to 1306 Bailes Lane in Frederick, Md., near the airport. Jenny Carroll was the third or fourth person hired for warehouse operations. She started picking orders, receiving, packaging, shipping and other reasonable tasks that Ken Breen, warehouse manager, presented to her. 

The same year, she married Matthew Carroll. Due to her dedication and excellent work effort, she was promoted to assistant warehouse manager. Several years later, she left to start a family and stayed home with her twins for six years. Her children grew up, and when they started school, she returned to Best Plumbing Specialties, which, in the meantime, had moved the rest of the operation from New York to Maryland. Jenny worked in customer service for a bit and eventually rose to the purchasing manager position. 

Over her 33 years at Best Plumbing, she was involved in many of our changes, including our move in 2004 and three major computer software changes. She also led when we joined the Omni buying group (later IMARK). 

President Bill Breen recalls attending quite a few meetings with her, Jack and Bal, during which she led most of the conversations with the various vendors. One vendor remarked that the men looked like her bodyguards. I always thought of her as my “work mom.” Over the past 13 years, I, at times, saw her more than my actual mother. 

Jenny traveled to multiple states, trade shows and meetings, and wandered countless aisles looking for new products. She was always the first to meet the vendors and get us in the door with a smile and a strong-willed attitude. Jenny was a formidable force, carving out a career in a field largely dominated by men and paving the way for others to follow. Her remarkable impact lives on,  especially among those she inspired along the way.

This drive is what carried her through the past six years while she battled cancer. In late November 2023, Jenny left Best to focus on family, and on Feb. 2, 2024, she passed away. 

Her hobbies included spending time at the beach in Long Island, N.J., and uncovering a great deal at a Saturday morning yard sale. Jenny is survived by her husband, Matthew T. Carroll; parents, Joan Bittner Fry and Ray W. Fry and Judy Fry; brother, Dan W. Fry; sister, Emily R. Fry; children, Jeremiah V. of Idledale, Colo.; daughter and son-in-law, Rebecca R. and Brad Sheldon of Waynesboro, Penn.; and 16-month old grandson, Samuel Thomas Sheldon. 

Henry Breen is the vice president of marketing, purchasing and contracts at Best Plumbing Specialties.