Carol passed away in her sleep on April 9, 2015 in Houston, Texas.

Carol was, in her words, an independent woman. Her brother, Ed Pidgeon, described her as someone who chose very early in life to do things her way. "I did not always agree with her," Ed said, "but I could not criticize her decision to live her life as she saw fit."

In her lifetime, Carol handled a number of diverse jobs, ranging from bartending to managing a customer service call center.

Carol was not one to mince words. When she was asked why she had been married three times, her response was curt and telling: "I don't take any bull."

Carol had a sense of humor regarding what was often a volatile life. Despite multiple health issues, including two heart surgeries, she quipped, "I have an expiration date stamped on my forehead."

Toward the end of her life, she was asked if she were at peace. "Oh yes," she said. "I don't like it--I wanted to see my granddaughter graduate from college--but I'm at peace."

Perhaps some of that peace came from what her brother, Ed, called her greatest attribute: "What I remember most about Carol was that she was a good person. If she could help someone, she would do it. She seldom had harsh words for others."

Carol was survived by her brother, Edward Pidgeon (Pasco High School class of 1965), a daughter, a son, a granddaughter, and three grandsons.

By the way, in the last decade of her life, Carol decided in her own inimitable style that she was to be addressed by one singular name, CarolAnne--not Carol Ann, not Carol Pidgeon, not even Carolanne with a lower case "a." And she would not respond to anyone who addressed her otherwise. So, in tribute to her independent character, here's to you CarolAnne. Your spirit lingers on.