Carole Anne Palmer

Sell all your Coca-Cola stock. Carole Anne Palmer — who first graced the world on May 11, 1945, in Annapolis, Maryland — left us July 10, 2022, after 77 years making the world a better place. Cancer sucks.

To her dying day, Carole, of Raytown, never lost her charming smile and dazzling eye roll, which came in handy because her sons and grandchildren often said or did ridiculous things to her everlasting delight. They were her joy along with a steamy Danielle Steel book.

Although her veins were 90% filled with Diet Coke, there was nothing artificially sweet about Carole, who loved stray people and stray animals with her whole heart in keeping with the true spirit of Jesus’ teachings.

Originally from Liberty, Missouri, Carole also had a deep affinity for musicals at Starlight Theatre, the Chiefs and Royals, house-flipping shows and stubbornly refusing to open her mail. She never met a Mr. Goodcents delivery driver she didn’t like.

A second momma to many and a powerhouse single mom in her heyday, Carole was deeply loved and will be deeply missed, especially by her son Tod’s former colleagues who will no longer receive random voicemails of praise.

A teacher for nearly five decades — and a wonderful one, who touched oh so many lives during stints at several districts in the Kansas City area as well as in Cedartown, Georgia — Carole’s passion was special education, including the Special Olympics. If you’re the jerk who stole the blue Special Olympics windbreaker from the backseat of her Chevy Cavalier about 30 years ago, shame on you.

Carole’s beloved daughter-in-law, Angie, has yet to strangle her son, Tod, and nothing made her heart more full than seeing her grandsons, Harrison and Collin, who will all miss her immensely. She’ll also miss chatting with her sister, Beth, and many cherished friends, including the Miller-Pajak-Green clan along with “Ken from Vietnam.” Carole also wouldn’t want us to leave out her former stepchildren Carol Ann Mangum and Mike Leonard and their kiddos — Amber Bamber, Grace Emma and the Con-Man — whom she also loved dearly along with her nephews — Gabe, Blake and Dane — and nieces — Michelle and Jennifer.

Carole was looking forward to being reunited in heaven with her parents, Wilbur J. and Virginia Bruner; her son, Cory; and her sister, Pam. She also hoped the greatest cat in recorded history, Taz, and a special mutt she met along the way, Benji, would be there, too.

Rather than endure one last trip to the eye doctor for a shot, Carole’s life will be celebrated from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, during a visitation at Floral Hills Funeral Home and Cemetery. A funeral service will take place at 1 p.m. on Friday, July 15, at Floral Hills, before her cremains are stashed next to Cory’s.

In lieu of flowers, feel free to consider a donation to Wayside Waifs or the Jewell Fund at her alma mater, William Jewell College, where four generations of her family have learned things from books. But with these gas prices, man, the family would settle for simply performing a random act of kindness in her honor because being nice to each other don’t cost a thing and the world needs more kindness. We’re all going through something.

Finally, the family also wishes to thank the wonderful nurses and her favorite doctor at Centerpoint in Independence for the kindness, care and compassion during her final days. She appreciated the endless mouth swabs, even if they were Diet Pepsi and not her beloved Diet Coke.