Carol Caty

Carol was the beloved wife of 66 years to Robert (Bob) Caty, with whom she shared a lifetime of love, laughter, and unwavering devotion. She was the cherished mother of Mark Caty and Michelle (David) Harrell, and a proud grandmother of Andrew (Lisa Shaw) Didorosi, Aaron Didorosi, and Adam Didorosi.

Carol and Bob's love story began long before they married. As children, their mothers were the best of friends, and Carol had already decided that one day she would marry Bob. They even tap danced together as children, beginning a partnership that would span more than six decades of marriage.

Carol and Bob enjoyed growing up together, with many memories of having fun as teenagers and then young adults. Carol played the clarinet in the Harper Woods High School marching band and played piano. Carol began working upon graduation from Harper Woods High School in 1959 at the S. S. Kresge lunch counter at Eastland Mall. She had many lifelong friends, including two friends (Judy and Joyce) who were born the same month as Carol. Carol and Bob married at St. Jude Church in Detroit on June 25, 1960 when Carol had just turned 19.

Throughout their life together, Carol was always with Bob. After they married, Carol moved to California where Bob was stationed in the U.S. Marines and Bob’s family lived near San Diego. In California, they welcomed their first child, son Mark. Bob and Carol returned to Michigan soon after his birth. Their daughter, Michelle, arrived five years later. They raised their family in East Detroit, then Harper Woods, later moving to Harrison Township in retirement.

Carol had a long successful career as a legal secretary. She worked in Highland Park, Michigan at a law office and had many fond memories and funny stories from those days working with good friends at the office on Woodward Avenue. Carol later joined the General Motors Legal Staff where she made many more good friends and memories and continued working as a legal secretary until she retired in 1996 to care for her grandsons.

Carol cherished her three grandsons, Andrew, Aaron and Adam. After retiring, she embraced the opportunity to spend time with them, creating countless treasured memories with them. Family was always at the center of her life. She loved taking her grandsons on day trips, cooking for them, reading with them and playing board games.

Carol enjoyed traveling with her family and recently enjoyed a family trip to Mackinac Island with a stay at the Grand Hotel. Carol and Bob travelled often for Bob’s work, and took a trip to Rome with their church. One of her favorite adventures on one of Bob’s work trips was to Phoenix, Arizona, where they toured the desert in a jeep with a cowboy. She also had a deep appreciation for the theater and music, especially musicals with beautiful costumes and performances by Sarah Brightman. Her taste in music was wide and varied, including Bob Seger, Jimmy Buffet and country music. She enjoyed attending performances whenever she could and treasured a special trip to New York with her daughter Michelle to see Broadway shows and shopping along 5th Avenue, one of many mother-daughter memories they shared.

She had a gift for making the world around her more beautiful. Carol loved gardening, and her favorite flowers were roses, lilies of the valley and peonies. Carol and Bob won several awards for their beautiful home garden. As a testament to his love, Bob built her a rose garden beneath their bay window so she could admire the blooms from inside their home. She loved all things pretty like sparkling jewelry, the color pink, fancy dresses (especially wedding gowns) and dressing elegantly. She was known for her beautiful long auburn hair and always took pride in looking her best.

Although Carol was an only child, she made many friends that she cherished as family. Carol also found joy in caring for others through her cooking, especially the homemade soups, potato salad, cole slaw and cakes she lovingly prepared for family. She often gathered new recipes for the family to sample and had a “just try one bite” request. Carol loved setting her table with her family heirloom plates and tablecloths and fresh flowers for holidays to make them special.

She enjoyed life's simple daily routines, faithfully completing crossword puzzles and Wordle, and never missing an episode of Jeopardy! or Wheel of Fortune. Carol was also a devoted dog lover throughout her life, and among all her beloved companions, her favorite was a schnauzer named Misty.

Carol faced many life challenges with optimism and courage. Carol was a breast cancer survivor who also endured many recent health issues with strength and her ever present concern for her family and abiding faith in God until God called her home. Carol will be deeply missed by her family and friends.

Visitation will be held on Sunday, July 26, from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm, at A.H. Peters Funeral Home, 32000 Schoenherr Road, in Warren. Instate will be held Monday, July 27, from 9:00 am until the time of the funeral mass at 10:00 am, at St. Veronica Catholic Church, 21440 Universal Avenue, in Eastpointe.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Children’s Hospital of Michigan or the Father Solanus Casey Center.