Carroll Derrenbacker Fassell

Carroll Inez Derrenbacker Fassell was born in Alexandria, Virginia on January 8, 1944 and passed away in Houston, Texas on December 27, 2023 at the age of 79. She was surrounded by her daughter Michelle and sister Sarah in her last moments. Carroll was a strong, independent woman who paid her own way through college and graduated with a BS in Biology from Florida Atlantic University. Her first job after college was at the National Institute of Health working to develop vaccines. She took a career break for 15 years to raise her daughter Michelle, in Ft Lauderdale, FL. During that time, Carroll volunteered at Michelle’s elementary and middle schools. Carroll loved to learn and took numerous college courses over the years, including advanced math, computer programming, and technical writing. She returned to the biology profession in 1990 working at various medical technology companies including Becton Dickinson (BD), where she retired in 2014 at the age of 70. All her life, Carroll loved her dog and cat pets and had a great appreciation for horses. She loved painting, country line dancing, and travelling around the world. Most of all, she loved her family and was a wonderful inspiration for her daughter, Michelle. She is survived by her daughter Michelle, her sister Sarah, and her two grandchildren, Noah and Jamie, her nephew Leo and grandniece Norah. Please consider donating to her preferred charity – the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research – in her honor.

Contributions in Carroll's memory may be made to Michael J. Fox Foundation by following the donation link below.