That’s 24 people. That’s two dozen lives that were blessed by Carol’s presence, and will be for as long as they last.
Before those 24 people, there were Carol’s parents, Floyd and Pauline, and her beloved sister, Kayren. There were grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. Later, in addition to her own family, there was Kayren’s husband, Jerry Harbin, and their children, Judd, Lorne, and Holly. And there were her in-laws — Ronald’s mother, Jewel, his stepfather, Owen, his sisters, Konnie, Sheila, and Yolanda, and their families.
Carol’s love of her family, and the love she received from them, shaped her life and the way she lived it, from April 7, 1942, until last Saturday evening, June 25. By itself, that amounted to a full-time job.
But that was not all Carol did. She also loved her friends, of which there have been so many good and true, who received from her the very best that friendship has to offer. Through the finest of times and through some very hard ones and everything between, Carol was a friend for life. That was especially true of the friends she and Ronald made as a couple — as parents, church members, business owners, and citizens of Russellville.
Within those overlapping circles, there was a lot of shared happiness and sadness and sickness and health. A lot of time and effort looking out for each other’s families and for other people. A lot of love.
But that was not all Carol did. She loved her children’s friends and always made them feel welcome in her home. She loved the people whose businesses she frequented and those who frequented hers. She loved teachers and coaches and librarians and others who impacted young lives in positive ways.
In fact, Carol loved everyone. She always — always — thought of other people first. And she expressed her values and beliefs, her concern and caring, in the love with which she treated every person with whom she ever came in contact.
That’s a lot of love. But that was — and is and will be — Carol Holdbrooks.
No one knew this better or experienced it more than Ronald. Carol and Ronald were partners in every way, from operating their business to taking care of their home, filling their leisure time, and raising their sons. And even if there was no doubt that one partner (Carol) had a little more authority, it really didn’t matter, because they were on the same page almost all of the time.
The way that Carol and Ronald lived their life together has been an example to everyone who has known them, most especially their sons. Mark, Todd, and Heath never had to look for wisdom or guidance or support, because it was right there in front of them at all times, unlimited and unconditional.
For most of her life, Carol was very active. Impossibly, with three boys, she kept a spotless house. Flawlessly, she kept the books for the business. Unfailingly, she kept up with birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, births and deaths, and the thousand other events and circumstances that occur in life. Tirelessly, she did cross-stitch, collected antiques, participated in church activities, kept all of her many clocks wound and in working order.
In recent years, through no fault of her own and in spite of her best efforts, she became less active. She was less visible, less of a physical presence in the lives of those she loved most. But she cared no less, and up until the last days she lived, she did her very best to find ways of continuing to express that.
The Bible tells us that the fruits of the spirit are faith, hope, charity, and love — and that the greatest of these is love. Carol Holdbrooks epitomized that.
That’s why there is sadness at Carol’s passing, a sense that the world is poorer without her. But shining through that sadness is the beauty of the love she shared with all of us. There is sadness in this moment, but there is also joy in having known a person whose entire existence was grounded in love.
Visitation will be Tuesday, June 28, 2022 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 Noon
Service will be Tuesday, June 28, 2022 at 12:00 at Pinkard Funeral Home- Russellville.
