Carol Louise (Rymer) Conner

She was born on August 23, 1955, to parents James and Vivian Rymer in Hamilton, Ohio. There, she graduated from Garfield High School in 1971, a year early, and went on to earn her Associate of Science in Nursing degree from Miami University. She eventually moved to Fairfield, where she worked at Mercy Hospital for approx. 30 years as an RN.

In the early 2000s, Carol went back to school to earn advanced nursing degrees, obtaining her BSN from Mount St. Joseph University, followed by an MSN from Wright State University. She continued working at Mercy upon graduating, but this time as a Nurse Practitioner in the Cardiac Unit. She later moved to Miamisburg to work as an NP at Dayton VA Medical Center until her retirement.

Besides devoting her life to caring for other people, Carol was an avid animal lover and had many pets throughout her life. Her cat, Jack, has been a constant companion for the past 15 years. He couldn’t sleep at night without being cuddled up next to her with his paw on her chest.

Some of her other interests included watching classic movies and westerns, reading devotional books and scripture, completing crossword puzzles, and answering almost every question correctly while watching Jeopardy!. Carol loved music, too. She was a gifted pianist who enjoyed filling her home with music, either played by herself or by the numerous artists she loved listening to.

In addition to her generous heart, beauty, intelligence, and musical talents, Carol will be remembered for her quick wit and, in recent years, for flirting with the many kind-hearted, attractive EMTs and firemen who came to her rescue many times. She was sensitive and thoughtful, but could also be a sassy jokester. While she suffered from several losses and was thrown many medical curveballs in her senior years, she never lost faith in God, nor her sense of humor.

Carol is survived by her loving daughter, Katherine "Katie" Whalen (Kelly), caregiver / best friend / “angel” Reva Watkins (Mike), nieces Margaret Rieckenberg (Kurt) and Lillian Wallace (Jared), great-nephew Keller Rieckenberg, great-niece Fallon Rieckenberg, and dear friends Sharon Atkins, Holly Voorhees, Robin Chapa, Dr. Nicholas Brautigam, Don Rineer, Valeria Skinner, Susan Vice, and Nancy Hansford. She was preceded in death by her parents, beloved sister Beverly Sherer, and partner of many years Stephen Pape.

A gathering of family and friends will be held at Tobias Funeral Home - Far Hills Chapel, 5471 Far Hills Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45429, on Thursday, May 28, 2026, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm, followed by a Celebration of Carol's Life at 6:00 pm. In lieu of flowers, Carol has requested that donations be made to any local animal shelter. Carol’s family and friends would like to give special thanks to Caretenders of Dayton for all of their help and care over the years. Condolences may be sent to www.tobiasfuneralhome.com