Carole Pauline Laakso (Williams), beloved wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother passed away unexpectedly on Monday January 4, 2021. Carole was a long-time resident of Mission Viejo, California.
Carole was born at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Erie, Pennsylvania on October 11, 1936 to Lillian Amelia Williams (Nygren) and Paul Everett Williams. Her father, Paul Williams washed the floors and painted the walls of the hospital to pay the hospital bill. Her early childhood was spent in Erie, Pennsylvania where she attended first grade at Jones Elementary and for second grade through fourth grade, Carole attended Penn Elementary. Carole later moved to North East, Pennsylvania where she attended Chestnut Grove Grade School, a one-room country school, for fifth and sixth grade. It was during her early childhood that she was the contest winner of a Shirley Temple Look-a-Like Contest and won the gold cup and certificate. Carole would smile and fondly tell the story of how she was not able to climb the stairs to claim her prize and had to crawl up the stairs when she was declared the winner! During her third-grade year, Carole fell, hitting the back of her head on the sidewalk in front of her home while playing “Red Rover, Red Rover” with some of her older friends. The sound was like a football hitting the house, and later that evening, Carole became unconscious. The family doctor scheduled a private plane to fly her to Chicago for brain surgery. Fortunately, Carole awakened later that night, and was woken up every two hours throughout the night. Carole was kept on bedrest for two weeks as a precaution. After being kept on bed for so long, her beautiful curly hair had to be cut due to all the tangles and it was never curly again.
During her adolescent years, Carole attended North East Junior High for half of her seventh-grade year. She then attended Erie Academy in Erie Pennsylvania for the remaining of her seventh grade through twelfth grade years, graduating from Erie Academy in 1954. During her junior and senior high school years, Carole was in Rainbow Girls and participated in their Drill Team which competed in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during her eighth-grade year. In her ninth-grade year, Carole tried out and was chosen for the Erie Academy’s Majorettes. This was an exciting and rewarding experience that Carole treasured for the next four years of high school, up until her graduation. Her baton twirling skills were impressive. During her senior year, Carole was chosen for the Homecoming Court and was the Mummers Day Queen in 1953. Carole valued her education and was also a member of the National Honor Society.
Before graduating from Erie Academy, Carole would babysit for various families, charging .25 cents an hour! In the spring of 1954, Carole began her first “real” job as a one-office secretary at Maryland Casualty Company on 12th & State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 1955, Carole became a legal secretary for James Quisenberry, a partner in the law offices of Held, Galbo, and Quisenberry located in the G. Daniel Baldwin Building on the top northwest corner at 10th and State Street in Erie, Pennsylvania.
During the late summer of 1955, Carole met Gerry Laakso at a dance at Lakeside in Conneaut, Ohio. While the Missouri Fox Hunters played that August evening, Carole and Gerry danced to “Moments to Remember”, which then became their song! Gerry was a senior at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio and invited Carole to attend their homecoming. Gerry was a member of the Phi Delta Fraternity. After falling in love with one another, they were “pinned” after Christmas, 1955. Carole and Gerry were married on May 18th, 1956 at Carole’s church St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church on 23rd and Peach Street in Erie, Pennsylvania. The small intimate ceremony included family with Carole’s sister Ardath Gilevski (Smith) and brother-in-law Duke Gilevski serving as attendants. Pastor Clair Dufford officiated their wedding ceremony. After supper and the cutting of their wedding cake at Carole’s parent’s home, Carole and Gerry left for their honeymoon in Kent, Ohio for the “Rowboat Regatta” that weekend. Carole then returned to work the following Tuesday.
Carole’s proudest family moment was giving birth to eight healthy children; four boys followed by four girls. She enjoyed raising them and participating in their various activities, watching them grow into adulthood and then experiencing the birth of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A special family moment was the celebration of her and Gerry’s 50th Wedding Anniversary with family in Cambria, California in August 2006. Carole and Gerry began their early marriage life living in Erie, Pennsylvania until 1956. From Erie, they moved to Akron, Ohio where their first three boys David, Timothy, and Jeffrey were born. Carole, Gerry and their three sons moved to Hamden, Connecticut until 1966. During these years in Connecticut, they welcomed the addition of Chris and Lisa to their family. The family moved to Farmington Hills, Michigan in the early months of 1966 and resided there until 1976. During these ten years, Kristen, Pamela, and Kimberly were born, completing the Laakso family with four sons followed by four daughters. In the summer of 1976, Carole, Gerry and their eight children moved to the west coast and began life in Mission Viejo, California where Carole contentedly called home up until her unexpected death this month.
One of Carole’s proudest accomplishments was receiving her Registered Nurse (R.N.) degree from Oakland Community College located in Farmington Hills, Michigan. She also received the Outstanding Nursing Student Award in 1973. Carole continued with her education and pursued her interest in and love of nursing by receiving her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from California State University, Fullerton in 1983. Carole was proud to share this time another Outstanding Nursing Student Award with her dear friend and fellow nursing student Mary Wolf in 1983. Carole worked at Saddleback Community Hospital in Laguna Hills, California for fifteen years in the medical/surgical unit. Carole later became the director of the Adult Day Care Center at Mt. of Olives Lutheran Church in Mission Viejo, California from 1997-2004.
Proud civic accomplishments were Carole’s involvement in the Saddleback Valley Newcomers Club in which she did serve a term as President. Carole was also involved with her daughter Kimberly with the National Charity League. Carole was also a charter member of the Saddleback Valley Assistance League. Carole cherished her high school years and was a proud alumni member of her high school Erie Academy located in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Carole is preceded in death by her mother Lilian Amelia Williams (Nygren), her father Paul Everett Williams, sister Ardath Gilevski (Smith), brother Noyd Norton. Carole will be dearly missed by her family-Husband of sixty-four years Gerald F. Laakso of the home in Mission Viejo, Califonia, sons David Gerald Laakso spouse Linda of Fenville, Michigan, Timothy Paul Laakso of Dana Point, California, Jeffrey William Laakso spouse Kristen of Mission Viejo, California, Chris Matthew Laakso spouse Tamara Field of Mission Viejo, California, daughters Lisa Carole Ceklosky (Laakso) spouse Robert Ceklosky of Jacksonville, North Carolina, Kristen Lynn Ziencina (Laakso) spouse Chris Ziencina of Mission Viejo, California, Pamela Susan Karam (Laakso) spouse Richard Karam of Long Beach, California, and Kimberly Anne Pengilly (Laakso) spouse Christopher Pengilly of Stockton, California. Grandchildren Daniel, Brian, Timothy, and Matthew Laakso, Laura (Monnig), and Lindsay Laakso, Ashley, Jordan (Rodriguez), and Chase Laakso, Christine (Villarreal), Andrew, and Carin Worrall, Daniel, Jared, Justine (Saunders), and Cade Ceklosky, Taylor (Dickey), Alec, and Conner Ziencina, Logan and Braeden Karam, Kailey, Emma, and William Pengilly. Great-Grandchildren Olivia and William Laakso, Madeline and Amelia Monnig, Kenton Fernandez, Aiden Ceklosky, Cason Saunders, and Carter and Kennedy Dickey. Carole will also be especially missed by her Brother-in-Law William Laakso and his wife Patricia of Columbus, Ohio and her Sister-in-Law Darla Dysert (Laakso) and her husband Thomas Dysert of The Villages, Florida.
A celebration of life will take place for Carole Williams Laakso at Pacific View Memorial Park, Corona del Mar, California on May 22, 2021 at 10am when Carole’s favorite flowers peonies and pansies are in full bloom. Memorial donations can be made to the Alzheimer’s Orange County 2515 McCabe Way, Suite 200 Irvine, CA 92614 Phone: 949-955-9000. Email: [email protected]
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