Carol Daisy Dean passed away peacefully on December 27, 2021. She was born in Detroit on December 18, 1932.
Her love and dedication to her husband, Larry, and children Karen, Denise and Dan, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were unsurpassed. She was the matriarch, mover and shaker and event planner of our family.
Carol grew up in Detroit and graduated from Denby High School in 1951. She met husband, Larry, while attending Highland Park Jr. College. They married on January 23, 1954. Larry served in the U.S. Army where they met life-long friends.
Carol was always on the go whether it was working, volunteering, or planning family get-togethers. Travel was her passion! She delighted in planning our annual family vacation and trips with cherished friends and grandchildren. From the early days of their marriage, she and dad recorded their U.S. and international travels with slides and often recounted their trips with parties to share images. Mom especially enjoyed visiting historically significant sites and taking service-oriented trips, often through Elderhostels (Road Scholar) learning adventures.
Carol was a proud alumna of Oakland University, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Education. She was a teacher at Tiny Tot Nursery and Oxford Area School's Child Care Center. She was director of the center from 1984-86, when she retired. She was always there for family and friends going above and beyond countless times to support her children and their families, as well as volunteering to help those she did not know. Mom led day trips for the Older Persons Commission in Rochester and both she and dad volunteered together delivering meals on wheels, working on the Troy Kensington Church traffic team - and Rebuilding Together.
Mom was an avid runner later in life and inspired us all to "keep moving!". She participated in numerous mid-distance track events and 5k races. She holds Michigan Senior Olympics records for her age group (80-84 years) in the 800m, 1500m, and 5k.
An informal open-house will be held 1-4 p.m. January 29, 2022 with a time for sharing at 2:30 p.m. at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Ave. in East Lansing, MI. A burial service will be planned in the spring or early summer at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI.
Carol was predeceased by her husband, Larry; mother, Violet Heron; and stepdad, Gerald Hart. She is survived by children Karen Dean, Denise (Jeff) Johnson, and Dan (Cathy) Dean; sister, Carla (Don) Fulton; brother-in-law, John (Tom) Dean; and grandchildren, Kevin (Jordan) Dean and their daughter, Sage, Hannah Brookhart, Summer Dean, Maddy Dean, Joshua Dean, Heather Dean, Joy (Dave) Bilbey, Jayna (Brad) Pyke, and Jeremy Johnson; cousins Joyce (Jim) Brady, Jacqueline Krycian, Jeff (Denise) Raymond, Jennifer (Ken) Wierzbicki, and Paul (Marie) Rogers. Carol is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Her love and dedication to her husband, Larry, and children Karen, Denise and Dan, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were unsurpassed. She was the matriarch, mover and shaker and event planner of our family.
Carol grew up in Detroit and graduated from Denby High School in 1951. She met husband, Larry, while attending Highland Park Jr. College. They married on January 23, 1954. Larry served in the U.S. Army where they met life-long friends.
Carol was always on the go whether it was working, volunteering, or planning family get-togethers. Travel was her passion! She delighted in planning our annual family vacation and trips with cherished friends and grandchildren. From the early days of their marriage, she and dad recorded their U.S. and international travels with slides and often recounted their trips with parties to share images. Mom especially enjoyed visiting historically significant sites and taking service-oriented trips, often through Elderhostels (Road Scholar) learning adventures.
Carol was a proud alumna of Oakland University, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Education. She was a teacher at Tiny Tot Nursery and Oxford Area School's Child Care Center. She was director of the center from 1984-86, when she retired. She was always there for family and friends going above and beyond countless times to support her children and their families, as well as volunteering to help those she did not know. Mom led day trips for the Older Persons Commission in Rochester and both she and dad volunteered together delivering meals on wheels, working on the Troy Kensington Church traffic team - and Rebuilding Together.
Mom was an avid runner later in life and inspired us all to "keep moving!". She participated in numerous mid-distance track events and 5k races. She holds Michigan Senior Olympics records for her age group (80-84 years) in the 800m, 1500m, and 5k.
An informal open-house will be held 1-4 p.m. January 29, 2022 with a time for sharing at 2:30 p.m. at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Ave. in East Lansing, MI. A burial service will be planned in the spring or early summer at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI.
Carol was predeceased by her husband, Larry; mother, Violet Heron; and stepdad, Gerald Hart. She is survived by children Karen Dean, Denise (Jeff) Johnson, and Dan (Cathy) Dean; sister, Carla (Don) Fulton; brother-in-law, John (Tom) Dean; and grandchildren, Kevin (Jordan) Dean and their daughter, Sage, Hannah Brookhart, Summer Dean, Maddy Dean, Joshua Dean, Heather Dean, Joy (Dave) Bilbey, Jayna (Brad) Pyke, and Jeremy Johnson; cousins Joyce (Jim) Brady, Jacqueline Krycian, Jeff (Denise) Raymond, Jennifer (Ken) Wierzbicki, and Paul (Marie) Rogers. Carol is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Carol Daisy Dean passed away peacefully on December 27, 2021. She was born in Detroit on December 18, 1932.
Her love and dedication to her husband, Larry, and children Karen, Denise and Dan, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were unsurpassed. She was the matriarch, mover and shaker and event planner of our family.
Carol grew up in Detroit and graduated from Denby High School in 1951. She met husband, Larry, while attending Highland Park Jr. College. They married on January 23, 1954. Larry served in the U.S. Army where they met life-long friends.
Carol was always on the go whether it was working, volunteering, or planning family get-togethers. Travel was her passion! She delighted in planning our annual family vacation and trips with cherished friends and grandchildren. From the early days of their marriage, she and dad recorded their U.S. and international travels with slides and often recounted their trips with parties to share images. Mom especially enjoyed visiting historically significant sites and taking service-oriented trips, often through Elderhostels (Road Scholar) learning adventures.
Carol was a proud alumna of Oakland University, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Education. She was a teacher at Tiny Tot Nursery and Oxford Area School's Child Care Center. She was director of the center from 1984-86, when she retired. She was always there for family and friends going above and beyond countless times to support her children and their families, as well as volunteering to help those she did not know. Mom led day trips for the Older Persons Commission in Rochester and both she and dad volunteered together delivering meals on wheels, working on the Troy Kensington Church traffic team - and Rebuilding Together.
Mom was an avid runner later in life and inspired us all to "keep moving!". She participated in numerous mid-distance track events and 5k races. She holds Michigan Senior Olympics records for her age group (80-84 years) in the 800m, 1500m, and 5k.
An informal open-house will be held 1-4 p.m. January 29, 2022 with a time for sharing at 2:30 p.m. at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Ave. in East Lansing, MI. A burial service will be planned in the spring or early summer at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI.
Carol was predeceased by her husband, Larry; mother, Violet Heron; and stepdad, Gerald Hart. She is survived by children Karen Dean, Denise (Jeff) Johnson, and Dan (Cathy) Dean; sister, Carla (Don) Fulton; brother-in-law, John (Tom) Dean; and grandchildren, Kevin (Jordan) Dean and their daughter, Sage, Hannah Brookhart, Summer Dean, Maddy Dean, Joshua Dean, Heather Dean, Joy (Dave) Bilbey, Jayna (Brad) Pyke, and Jeremy Johnson; cousins Joyce (Jim) Brady, Jacqueline Krycian, Jeff (Denise) Raymond, Jennifer (Ken) Wierzbicki, and Paul (Marie) Rogers. Carol is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Her love and dedication to her husband, Larry, and children Karen, Denise and Dan, along with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren were unsurpassed. She was the matriarch, mover and shaker and event planner of our family.
Carol grew up in Detroit and graduated from Denby High School in 1951. She met husband, Larry, while attending Highland Park Jr. College. They married on January 23, 1954. Larry served in the U.S. Army where they met life-long friends.
Carol was always on the go whether it was working, volunteering, or planning family get-togethers. Travel was her passion! She delighted in planning our annual family vacation and trips with cherished friends and grandchildren. From the early days of their marriage, she and dad recorded their U.S. and international travels with slides and often recounted their trips with parties to share images. Mom especially enjoyed visiting historically significant sites and taking service-oriented trips, often through Elderhostels (Road Scholar) learning adventures.
Carol was a proud alumna of Oakland University, where she earned bachelor's and master's degrees in Education. She was a teacher at Tiny Tot Nursery and Oxford Area School's Child Care Center. She was director of the center from 1984-86, when she retired. She was always there for family and friends going above and beyond countless times to support her children and their families, as well as volunteering to help those she did not know. Mom led day trips for the Older Persons Commission in Rochester and both she and dad volunteered together delivering meals on wheels, working on the Troy Kensington Church traffic team - and Rebuilding Together.
Mom was an avid runner later in life and inspired us all to "keep moving!". She participated in numerous mid-distance track events and 5k races. She holds Michigan Senior Olympics records for her age group (80-84 years) in the 800m, 1500m, and 5k.
An informal open-house will be held 1-4 p.m. January 29, 2022 with a time for sharing at 2:30 p.m. at Gorsline Runciman Funeral Homes East Chapel, 1730 East Grand River Ave. in East Lansing, MI. A burial service will be planned in the spring or early summer at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly, MI.
Carol was predeceased by her husband, Larry; mother, Violet Heron; and stepdad, Gerald Hart. She is survived by children Karen Dean, Denise (Jeff) Johnson, and Dan (Cathy) Dean; sister, Carla (Don) Fulton; brother-in-law, John (Tom) Dean; and grandchildren, Kevin (Jordan) Dean and their daughter, Sage, Hannah Brookhart, Summer Dean, Maddy Dean, Joshua Dean, Heather Dean, Joy (Dave) Bilbey, Jayna (Brad) Pyke, and Jeremy Johnson; cousins Joyce (Jim) Brady, Jacqueline Krycian, Jeff (Denise) Raymond, Jennifer (Ken) Wierzbicki, and Paul (Marie) Rogers. Carol is also survived by nine great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
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