Caroline Carrie Marie Driscoll Carr

Caroline M. Carr, age 61 of West Palm Beach, FL passed away peacefully on September 1, 2011. Caroline was born on November 8, 1949 in Grand Forks, ND to the late Mr. J. Shanley Driscoll and the late Mrs. Mabel (nee Rickbeil) Drisoll. In 1985 Caroline and her husband of 44 years, James A. Carr moved to the West Palm Beach area coming from North Dakota. Caroline loved her Lord and Savior and was a devout Catholic, whom attended mass at St. Juliana Catholic Church in West Palm Beach. She also loved working with her hands by planting and gardening in her yard. She was tragically preceded in death by her son, Anthony (Tony) Carr in 1988.

She is also survived by her son, Michael Carr and his wife, Allison of SC, her five brothers; Gary Driscoll and his wife, Linda of ND, Tom Driscoll and his wife, Gloria of OR, Duane Driscoll and his wife, Debi of ND, Terry Driscoll and his wife, Doris of ND, and David Driscoll and his wife, Joyce of ND, her two adored grandchildren; Bennett & Courtney Carr of SC, and numerous nieces and nephews.

A Visitation will be held 6PM – 9PM, Tuesday, September 6, 2011 at Mizell-Faville-Zern Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 6411 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33405 (561) 833-4061. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held 2PM, Wednesday, September 7, 2011 at St. Juliana Catholic Church, 4500 South Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, FL 33405. Burial will follow in Hillcrest Memorial Park, West Palm Beach, FL. Online Condolences can be shared at: www.mizellfavillezern.com.

The Autobiography

When Caroline Marie Carr walked into the room, those in her company felt energy, an enthusiastic spontaneity. This was just one example of who Caroline was and how she impacted those around her. Caroline was a clever and gregarious person who always sought out the finest attributes in other people. It was as if Caroline wanted to share all of their experiences, revel in their lives and celebrate their discoveries. Caroline was tireless and had boundless enthusiasm that would serve her well throughout her life.

Caroline was born on November 8, 1949 at St. Michaels in Grand Forks, North Dakota. She was the daughter of J. Shanley & Mabel Driscoll. Caroline was raised in East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Always at the ready with a good joke, she grew up to be quite a humorous person. While some who knew Caroline might describe her as an idealist, her friends and family understood well that Caroline was always in pursuit of life’s endless possibilities and opportunities available to her.

Caroline was raised with Five Brothers. She had Gary, Tom, Duane, Terry and David. Caroline was very accepting and supportive of her family. She was perceived as the central person in her family in terms of keeping communication open between the family members. Whenever discord or tension arose within the home, Caroline was typically the member who brought about resolution and harmony. These traits served Caroline well in her adult life and, along with her wit, outgoing personality, and understanding of others, drew the admiration of many who knew her.

As a young girl, Caroline was able to empathize and identify with a vast array of people and personality types. This quality drew her into a diverse group of friends and acquaintances. Caroline was intelligent and had little trouble getting along with her peers. She was almost always the first to jump in when it came to playing games or participating in other childhood activities. She was a 4-H Member. In her spare time she liked Reading. Caroline had the ability to find amusement with almost any activity she and the many childhood friends she shared might discover.

During her high school years, Caroline responded enthusiastically to any new project and was regularly in search of one adventure after another. She graduated from Crookston High School in Minnesota in 1967. Caroline was a very good student, and generally did well in her courses. Caroline absorbed as much as she could from all of her teachers and was consistently able to tackle conceptual and abstract problems, using her imagination to master her assignments. For Caroline, school often became just an extension of playtime, thanks to her ability to turn just about anything into a game. Caroline blossomed as a Cheer Leader. Classmates considered Caroline a good listener, knowing that when necessary, they could go to her to discuss just about anything. Her favorite class in high school was Home Economics. She was awarded the Congeniality Award.

With a talent for making acquaintances easily which in turn brought her an endless stream of friends, Caroline was very sociable and could blend without effort into any social group. Assertive and outgoing, Caroline was easy to know and demonstrated a deep concern for others. She always seemed aware of what was going on with people around her and throughout her life she made many, many friends. While growing up, some of her best friends were Kathy Vasec, Mickey Bye and Nancy Porter. Later in life, she became friends with June, Nikki and many more too numerous to mention.

On November 18, 1967 Caroline married James A. Carr at Sacred Heart of East Grand Forks, Minnesota. Caroline's skill at “building bridges” played an important role in her ability to make her new family happy. She was quite sensitive towards Jim's needs, showing her constant concern and fondness. Caroline was tenderhearted and sensitive, qualities that served her well in helping to nurture her family.

Caroline was a natural and creative parent who was willing to provide her family with all sorts of new and interesting experiences. For Caroline, parenting was a particularly enjoyable and pleasurable part of her life. Every activity, from chores to bedtime routines, became a game in the Carr home. Caroline's skill at understanding her children's feelings, her sensitivity to their needs, and her gift for gentle persuasion enabled her to find novel solutions to any problem or situation that might crop up. Caroline was blessed with Two Sons; Michael and Anthony. They were also blessed with Two Grandchildren; Bennett and Courtney.

Caroline was uplifted by new ideas and was excited by life’s possibilities, traits that made her an exceptional worker. Her primary occupation was Waitressing. She was employed for Palm Beach Breakers and Beach Club. Caroline was enterprising, inventive and working against deadlines seemed to energize her. Caroline had the uncanny ability to identify a win/win solution to just about any problem, possibly because of her gift for insight. Caroline's fellow workers saw her as a supporter and a mentor.

Because Caroline loved to have a broad variety of activities in her life, she took advantage of the opportunity to pursue numerous hobbies. Her favorite pursuits were Gardening. Caroline had a knack for being able to multi-task in order to create time for all of her favorite pastimes. However, Caroline's ever-present concern for others always took precedent.

Caroline derived much satisfaction from participating in and watching sports. Her charisma, supportive nature and ability to improvise when called upon to do so all made perfect attributes for enjoying a great many sporting activities. In high school, Caroline was a Cheer Leader. Caroline was also something of a sports fan and enjoyed watching her favorite events whenever she got the opportunity.

Throughout her life, Caroline was actively involved in professional and community organizations. She was compassionate, accommodating and quick to move into action. Always able to build a consensus, Caroline seemed to be the person smack dab in the middle of things, working to get things done. Those who had the opportunity to work with Caroline usually agreed that when you were involved in an organization with her, it was as entertaining as anything you could imagine. In high school, Caroline was a member of the FHA.

Caroline was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member St. Juliana Catholic Church in West Palm Beach. She was sympathetic and able to empathize with others and she used these qualities to the fullest while working tirelessly for her beliefs.

Though she never did anything solely for individual recognition, Caroline's ingenuity, resourcefulness, and selflessness, earned her accolades for her many lifelong efforts. Some of her most prestigious awards included Best Wife in the World.

Caroline's love of improvising in her daily life was a perfect fit for her enjoyment of traveling. Her favorite vacations were ones that were not planned. Traveling in a casual manor fit her personality well. Excited about seeing changing scenery and constantly looking for the enjoyment life could offer, Caroline took her vacations seriously, well, as seriously as she possibly could. Favorite vacations included camping trips in Minnesota and Florida.

Caroline was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. Smokey a Mutt and Candie a Maltipoo, were her best friends Smokey for 14 years and Candie for 18 years.

When Caroline's retirement finally came in December 1, 2009, Caroline handled it the way she usually did. She adapted and, like everything in her life, made it satisfying. Because she was such a flexible person and able to adjust to any situation, retirement was just another enjoyable change of pace for Caroline to master. Her new life involved relocating to West Palm Beach, Florida. In retirement, she found new pleasure in traveling. Even in retirement, Caroline continued to stay in touch with her old friends and like always, made plenty of new ones.

On August 28, 2011, Caroline and James meet Father Gabriel in JFK Medical Center. James had asked the nurse to call for a priest, however, Father Gabriel had already left the hospital. Later he told us that he felt compelled to return. As he entered Caroline's room we were overcome with a feeling of deep peace and were very moved by his presence. Placing my hand on Caroline's forehead and with his hand on mine he gave Caroline the special blessing of Last Rites. Caroline and I felt a special bond with Father Gabriel and in the days that followed the bond grew stronger. When Caroline passed away, Father Gabriel said he was so moved by her strong faith in the midst of her terrible suffering that he spoke with our parish priest and requested that he be allowed to perform the mass for Caroline. Oh, what a beautiful eulogy he gave for Caroline. I truly believe Father Gabriel was sent by an angel.

Caroline Carr passed away on September 1, 2011 at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, Florida. Caroline fought a brave battle against cancer. She is survived by her husband, James, son, Michael, grandchildren; Bennett & Courtney. Services were held at St. Juliana Catholic Church 4500 South Dixie Hwy., West Palm Beach, FL 33405 on September 7, 2011. Caroline was laid to rest in Hillcrest Memorial Park, 6411 Parker Avenue, West Palm Beach, FL 33405.

There was always a certain style and inventiveness to Caroline. She was a dynamic, self-expressive person who was forever looking to celebrate the endless possibilities life had to offer. She had a knack for being clever, creative and witty, and for others, was a joy to be around. While she was often fiercely independent, it seemed as if many others looked to Caroline Carr for inspiration, leadership, wisdom and even courage. Caroline was always more than willing to share life’s experiences with her loved ones.