Carol Anne Cole

Carol Anne Cole, 71, died peacefully on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, with family at her side. She was an incredibly loving, supportive, kind, and generous mother to Andrew, Ethan, Tim, and Yolande — a family she raised with her beloved husband of almost 50 years, Ron. Her sister and brother, Margaret and David Peyto, were cherished friends, and she was fiercely proud of her young grandsons, Joseph and James.

As a strong, caring, and compassionate mother, Carol lived a life that always put others before herself. She was a constant advocate, an unconditional supporter, a confidante, and a guide to her children. Her family will miss her love, warmth, wisdom, laughter, generosity, and kindness forever.

Carol was born in Calgary and spent her life in the city. She had a special connection to the Banff area, Peyto Lake (named after her great-uncle), Emerald Lake, and Sorrento Centre, B.C. Her intelligence and passion for theatre earned her a drama degree from the University of Calgary, where she met Ron, her future husband.

While her family always came first, her other interests throughout her lifetime included reading books and newspapers, following politics, cooking and baking, knitting and sewing, playing board games, going for walks and picnics in the Rockies, and picking out thoughtful gifts for her loved ones. As a Holy Cross Anglican Church parishioner, she attended the church for much of her life and developed special relationships with homegroup members over the last two decades.

She enjoyed travel and road trips, and often thought fondly about her journeys in Canada, the United States, the U.K and across Europe. From a young age, she and Ron instilled a love of reading and learning in their children and taught them about the importance of helping the less fortunate and volunteering their time to support others — as Carol did for many years, through her time and through charitable donations from the family.

Carol was predeceased by her mother and father, Stella and Walter Peyto. In addition to her husband, children, grandchildren, and siblings, she is survived by her sister-in-law Linda Peyto, her brothers- and sisters-in-law in the United States, Steve and Kathy Cole, Diane and Craig Rollins, and Kevin and Briguita Cole, by her daughter-in-law Andrea Cole, and her children’s partners Rhona De Real, Emily Ursuliak, and Jon Roe. She is also survived by numerous other relatives and friends near and far, with whom she shared many fond memories, including cousins in Canada and England, nephews and nieces, and her long-time friend Rosemary Reed.

An informal, outdoor celebration of Carol’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Sorrento Centre, the Calgary Public Library Foundation, or to a charity of your choosing, in recognition of Carol’s giving and compassionate nature. Condolence messages can be sent to: [email protected].