Carol Marlene (Sturgis) Savolaine

Carol M. Savolaine, age 88, died at home peacefully with family as she wished. She lived an incredibly active and compassionate life of service to others. She was an overachiever and overcame many tough situations (including four battles with cancer). She made her time on this Earth matter in countless ways (large and small) … and without fanfare.

Born to Ivan L. “Ike” Sturgis and Martha E. (Hotchkiss) Sturgis, Carol grew up in Western Pennsylvania (the Erie area and in New Castle).

A Passion for Lifelong Learning

She excelled in school, piano, dance, and art growing up. After graduating from New Castle High School (PA), she earned a Bachelor’s degree from Houghton University (NY) in 1959, with a double major in History and French. Her college roommate, Orebo Ayodapo “Joy” (Bodunrin) Udo, from Nigeria, was also her maid of honor … and they stayed in touch over the years.

Always an educator – She worked as a middle school English teacher while her husband Ed was in medical school. Thirty years after her first Bachelor’s (and raising three kids), she earned a second Bachelor’s degree in Gerontology with highest honors from Lourdes College (Sylvania OH) in 1989, to better help senior citizens. After graduation, her work included teaching gerontology classes.

She and Ed continued to support Houghton University. They made donations directed to the science program, including a laboratory space for science honors students that still bears their names. From 1995 to 2004, Carol served on Houghton’s PACE (President’s Advisory Council on Excellence) Board.

She did not stop, even in her 80s. Before the pandemic impacted classes and her health declined, she volunteered at the Vineyard Church (Columbus OH) as a teacher’s aide for their ESL (English as a Second Language) Program to help refugees and immigrants.

Always learning and creating – Carol enjoyed doing needlecrafts (expert-level), sewing, and quilting; writing fiction and Haiku poetry; and drawing. Even in her final months, she asked for an artist’s sketch pad to continue drawing.

Truest of Sweethearts and a 55-Year Marriage

Her first date with “Eddie” was in high school and they dated throughout college. It wasn’t an easy married life in the beginning, because after med school, Ed joined the Army as a physician in 1963. They had to move their young family to Ft. Monroe (VA), then Ft. Sam Houston (TX), and then to Ft. Campbell (KY), where he was the Chief of Radiology Services, until he was deployed to Vietnam (1969-70).

As he was returning to the States, Carol found a house to rent in Columbus so he could do his pre- and post-doctoral fellowships at OSU’s Medical School. Next, they moved to Sylvania, OH, where he worked in private practice and as a medical professor for almost 30 years. When their first grandchild was born, they moved to Westerville, OH, for their retirement years.

They shared a love of travel (U.S. and international), nature, creating art, supporting the arts and local artists, volunteering, and dressing in costumes for events … especially as Santa and Mrs. Clause.

Finland Connections

Even though she was not Scandinavian, Carol fully embraced Ed’s Finnish heritage, including learning the culture and foods, making trips to Finland to visit relatives, and joining the Scandinavian Club in Columbus. She embodied the Finnish concept of “sisu,” which signifies a combination of strength of will, determination, resilience, and courage in the face of adversity.

Living her Faith

Her handwritten notes in the back of her Bible state that she was born again at age 17 and that she read the Bible cover-to-cover at least three times. She was dedicated to service throughout her life and in varied ways such as: researching, designing, and sewing banners for church; volunteering with numerous organizations (including serving as the Chair Bear for the Sylvania and Columbus “Dens” of the Good Bears of the World charity); and being a pen pal with a prisoner in California for 35 years… to name just a few.

Her Greatest Joy – Her Family

Her deepest love and pride were for her family: children Ruth, John (and wife Brenda), and David (and wife Stephanie); and her grandchildren Helena, Noah, and Jack, as well as her extended Sturgis, Savolaine, and Dahlberg families, including our relatives in Finland. Of her siblings, Carol is survived by her sister Betty (Sturgis) Guthrie (Texas). Carol and Ed also opened their home to Svetlana (Cholvadova) Ottney, who was an art student from Slovakia.

Through the years, family members also included: cats, dogs, turtles, a gerbil, a snake or two, and white mice. Up until her passing, she sponsored cages at the Cat Welfare Association (Columbus).

She will be celebrated on Saturday, May 24th, at Gethsemane Lutheran Church (35 E. Stanton Ave, Columbus, OH 43214) – family visitation (10 am) and a service (11 am), followed by a lunch in the church’s Great Hall.

Her ashes will be buried three weeks later, after brief Chapel service, on Saturday, June 14th at 2 pm at Olivet Lutheran Church and their on-site Garden of Peace (5840 Monroe St., Sylvania, OH 43560) – Please send RSVPs for this service to Reeb Funeral Home at: [email protected]

Charities in Lieu of Flowers

Mom supported so many charities, it is difficult to choose. Below are just a few. Donations can be given in her honor to:

• Good Bears of the World – They provide (infant-safe) teddy bears after disasters and for others in need; GBW, P.O. Box 13097, Toledo, OH 43613; https://www.goodbearsoftheworld.org/

• Animals and Environment:

o Cat Welfare Association – 741 Wetmore Road, Columbus, OH, 43214; https://catwelfareassoc.org/

o International Crane Foundation – E11376 Shady Lane Road, Baraboo, WI 53913; https://savingcranes.org/

o The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy – 800 Waterfront Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, 15222; https://waterlandlife.org/

• U.S. and International:

o Lutheran World Relief – PO Box 17061, Baltimore, MD 21297-1061; https://lwr.org/

o Doctors without Borders – 40 Rector St., 16th Floor, New York, NY 10006; https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/contact-us

o The American Bible Society – 101 North Independence Mall East FL8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155.; https://www.americanbible.org/

• Or, a charity of your choosing