Lived. Loved. Laughed.

2/4/2021

Carol introduced this blog with the quote: “In the end, it's not going to matter how many breaths you took, but how many moments took your breath away.” She embraced that fully, not only following her diagnosis, but her entire life.

With heavy hearts, we share that Carol passed away on January 31, 2021.

For over seven years she shared her ALS journey on this forum -- and -- there’s so much more to Carol than you may know. She has always been a committed advocate and champion for those needing a voice: this was her DNA long before her diagnosis. And much as she was proud of her advocacy, she didn’t want to be remembered just for ALS. And how could we when there was so much more to her? Whether rejoicing in nature at Kamp Kanawana, serving as Camp Hayward Director in Cape Cod, teaching in Saint Maarten, or facilitating groups with concurrent disorders at the Canadian Mental Health Association in Ottawa, this McGill graduate and certified art therapist brought joy to so many. Beloved wife, daughter, sister, aunt, and friend, she was vegetarian for decades and animal lover too - the “C’ in Carol surely stood for caring, always all ways.

She will be dearly missed by her extended family and friends around the world; all those in the ALS and mental health community, YMCA camp world, McGill and Kappa networks, and every place she lived and loved. Still 49 years young, the scope of her loved ones is too numerous to mention here.

No matter what “next” you believe in, it’s comforting to think of Carol with brother Don, cats Cookie and Nemo, sharing tea (or champagne!) with Granny, and planning her next trip. We wish her great music,
delicious food, and satisfying cards and puzzles.

We’ll miss you Carol, our lives were better for knowing you, no matter how short that may have been.

Please keep Travis, Dory, and Buddy in your thoughts; and at such a time when it’s safe to be together again, we look forward to hugging and celebrating all things about our sweet crown-wearing princess and great surpriser, Carol.

If you would like to continue Carol’s legacy of caring, donations in her honour are gratefully welcomed at:

ALS Society of Canada
Kappa Kappa Gamma Rose McGill Financial Aid
Your local SPCA / Humane Society

Let’s remember how much awareness was raised with the ALS Bucket Challenge - we encourage you to be inspired by Carol’s life and take action. As we learn from one of Carol’s favorite characters, Ferris Bueller: “Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” What are you doing to live, love and laugh for your best life?

23 Comments

Annemarie Brissenden link

2/4/2021 01:33:31 pm

Thank you for this perfect tribute--the C was indeed for caring. Carol will be missed and will always inspire me to live, love, and laugh. Travis, Peter, and Louise...as well as beloved friends both two and four legged, my thoughts are with you. I hope to share hugs, bubbles, and laughter soon.

Sara Francoeur

2/4/2021 02:13:30 pm

Carol - I will never forget your contagious joy and your smile that drew people to your warm heart. Including a Ferris Bueller quote to this saddest of announcements reminds me of your natural ability to bring cheer to people who need it most. I will think of you often. xo

Andrew Nunez

2/4/2021 02:17:38 pm

Thank you Carol for gracing our lives. Like the art you adored, your life was not defined by the lines that created its boundaries. Rather, the colors you filled it with in the space in between. We will miss you dearly.

Donna Titterton

2/4/2021 03:06:14 pm

Dear Carol,
I have been truly blessed to have worked for you for these last 14 months. It's hard to forget someone who gave you so much to remember. Thank you so much.
Love Donna

Ginette Begg

2/4/2021 04:41:57 pm

The world will be a little less bright without your big beautiful smile in it. Your infectious joy was and always will be an inspiration to me.

Françoise Drouin-Soucy

2/4/2021 05:23:03 pm

I remember Carol fondly as a devoted colleague at CMHA. She touched so many lives through her work, and then so many more as a fierce advocate for ALS awareness. She will be dearly missed by the whole community.

Steven

2/4/2021 05:27:24 pm

I fondly remember Carol on our canoe trip and the fun times we shared at Kanawana. More recently I am glad I got to see her receive the PIP award. What a blessing we had.

Vincent J Quinn

2/4/2021 05:38:46 pm

I met Carol through our advocacy efforts with ALS Canada. What a lovely person and powerful spokesperson for our common illness. The battle will go on, with her as an inspiration to all who fight ALS.

Audrey Drake link

2/4/2021 06:06:15 pm

My most sincere condolences to Louise and Peter and family. My heart goes out to you all.
May you find comfort in your loss by embracing all the precious memories of your lovely, courageous and joy-filled girl. I have no doubt that her spirit will live on and on.
Big hugs and love.

Louise Sharman

2/28/2021 03:15:19 pm

thanks Audrey. Appreciate your kind words. Hopefully will see you in Montreal or if you get to Ottawa

Pauline Jackson

2/4/2021 06:46:24 pm

Carol and I met at Kanawana and became good friends. We shared many great memories and had so many laughs together. The news of her passing has left a hole in my heart. Sincere condolences to Travis and Carols family.

Carol Smith

2/4/2021 06:57:40 pm

Carol with her generosity, laughter, love of life, fun ideas enriched my life for so many years. She shared my daughter's university years and her wedding, brightened my days when she lived with us in Toronto, shared a big sadness in my life, played Word games and puzzles with me, never forgot my birthday and introduced me to Lindt chocolate balls !!
She lived life to the max and will continue to shine brightly in my heart.

Ora Loeub

2/4/2021 07:07:03 pm

I first met Carol at kanawana when I was 15 years old as my section director. I remember as a JC finding out from Carol that sneak outs were planned and the look on her face watching my reaction was priceless. We continued to work together for four years at Camp Hayward. I will always remember her big smile and happy demeanour. My deepest condolences to Carol’s entire family. She will be forever remembered. ❤️

Yumi

2/4/2021 08:05:40 pm

Carol was my counsellor at Kanawana and I have fond memories of our time together. I felt privileged to be present at the Pip Award ceremony in 2016. Carol had such a warm and infectious smile, and loved to laugh. With her passing, it feels like the world lost a beautiful light.

DvG - Danny van Gelder

2/4/2021 08:18:36 pm

This brings tears to my eyes, but also a tremendous sense admiration, of how to live a life ... no matter the cards one gets dealt.

I was/am part of the same Kamp and Cape Camp communities as Carrol, and can’t say I knew her as well as many (10 years at camp is a big age gap!)

Her dedication, sense of fun, and courage, especially these past 7 years I find to be ... truly remarkable.

Hugging whoever needs one (virtually)

DvG

Beth McKinney

2/4/2021 09:21:32 pm

A beautiful tribute to a beautiful soul... Carol was a kindred spirit and a gift to the world.

Jan Saul

2/4/2021 09:39:56 pm

I’d like to give my heartfelt condolences to Carol’s family and friends. I had the privilege of interviewing Carol for a direct mail letter for ALS Canada. Carol shared her story with a warmth, honesty and bravery I have never forgotten. She made a huge impression on me and my colleagues and I often visited her website to see how she was. I am so sorry to hear of Carol’s passing.

Chris Dumas

2/5/2021 08:27:28 pm

Carol was a good friend on the year-round Burgess crew. We had a close staff. Carol and I took guitar lessons together down at Nick's Music Shop in Sandwich for years. It was such an enjoyable ritual. She was such a bright light. My condolences to her family and friends.

Craig & Donna Defries

2/6/2021 08:11:30 pm

Carol’s warm, welcoming spirit, dedication and overall joie de vivre was inspiring. Fond memories of working together at CMHA and thankful for her friendship. Heartfelt condolences to her family and friends

Joanne Haddad

2/7/2021 09:49:25 am

Dearest Carol, I will miss you forever!
We had a beautiful vigil for you at Canadian Mental Health Association on Thursday. There were so many of your work friends there and to my surprise, a whole bunch new workers were there to honour you and our other colleague, Jamie, who sadly passed on the same day you did. We told stories, listened to songs, someone read beautiful poems, we meditated all togother.... Your spirit was very strong amongst us. Peace to you dear sister!

Carol Ann Odorico

2/8/2021 07:15:52 pm

Heartfelt condolences to you Louise, Peter and family. May your cherished memories bring you much comfort during this difficult time. Sending you huge virtual hugs ❤️

Louise Sharman

2/28/2021 03:13:48 pm

Thanks for your condolences. Please thank all the volleyball girls for their support over the years. I often think about you, them and Donna.

3/22/2021 10:06:50 am

As concerning the Word of life, Luke 10 section 25-28 says: On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?" He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" "You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
Luke 18 section 18-25 says: A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" "All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 5 section 43-48 says: "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
In Old Testament, the Jewish people and their ancestors were given the Law to observe. First, What Adam and Eve should observe was that they could not eat the fruits from the tree of wisdom. Then, their son Cain was told that he should not kill. As sins became increased, the laws were also added more. Up to the generation of Moses, the Law in Old Testament was given to Israelites. We know that the Law is good and the Law is used to punish people who commit sins, but people cannot obey the Law because the sinful spirits are in people. Even that we know stealing and giving false testimony are sinful, but greedy and pride spirits in us drive us to do sinful things. So as Old Testament prophesied we need to get rid of our sinful nature from our spirits.
Jeremiah 31 section 31-33 says: "The time is coming," declares the Lord, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the Lord. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the Lord. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
Ezekiel 36 section 24-27 says: "'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.
The prophecies are fulfilled when Jesus begins to teach love. The two greatest commandments are " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Love is above the Law and if people have love they are free from the law of sin and death. People who are full of love will not think about stealing or giving false testimony but are merciful and they feed hungry people or give thirsty people something to drink or invite strangers in or clothe people who need clothes. The Law is for people who commit sins. Nobody will say that he will get reward because he does not steal before. But love is the grace we get. And with love we will get eternal life.
Romans 13 section 8-10 says: Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "Do not commit adultery," "Do not murder," "Do not steal," "Do not covet," and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: "Love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Luke 17 section 2

Lived. Loved. Laughed.

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