Carol A. McCollum

Carol A. McCollum, 87, of Rockford, Illinois, passed away on Saturday, June 20, 2026. Carol was born July 23, 1938, in Rockford, to Leo and Ruth Van Stone. On July 4, 1957, Carol married Charles McCollum. In the early 1970s, Carol and her family relocated to Arizona to enjoy the sunshine. She worked at Broadway for several years while the kids were still in school. Later on she started working at BF Goodrich in Phoenix, and retired there. Upon retiring, Carol came home to Rockford to be closer to family.

Carol can be described as super fun, and always having a good time. If you ran into Carol, chances are she was doing one (or all) of the following: dancing, playing slots, and having a cold beer. Carol worked hard. She loved to be around people, especially her family.

She is survived by her children, Sharon (Steve) Watson and Linda Decker; grandchildren, Jonathan Hoover, Melissa Johnson, Tyler Humelhans, Cheree Stice, Amber Brooks, Jacob Watson, and Nicole Pickett; many great-grandchildren; sisters, Betty Crum and Ruth (Butch) North; little brother, Bud (Jan) Paniuski.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Charles McCollum; son, Chuck McCollum; brother-in-law, Ben Crum.

A Celebration of Life for Carol will be announced at a later date, but in the meantime, have a cold beer and throw a few dollars in the slot machine in her honor!