Carol Elaine Tucker was born in Iola, Kansas on November 16, 1929 to William Warren Tucker and Alta Alberta Ragle. She passed away peacefully at the age of 89 on May 7, 2019 in Sunnyvale, CA. She was preceded in death by her parents, siblings, Marilyn Blank and Jamie Tucker, and Charles, her loving husband of 46 years.
Carol moved with her family at age three to Oakland, CA. After school as a child, she enjoyed playing outdoor games with her brother Jamie and their neighborhood friends. Carol attended classes at U.C. Berkeley before marrying Charles William Verrey, the boy next door on June 27, 1948.
After giving birth to their two children, Carol and Charles left the summer heat of Walnut Creek and settled first in Santa Clara and then in Sunnyvale in 1963. Carol attended Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church and was active there for over 50 years.
Carol was a Sunday school teacher, Cub Scout den mother, and Camp Fire Girl leader. She loved to sew, crochet, take photos with her Kodak camera, and garden, but Carol's two biggest passions were traveling and being with family. When her children were young, Carol enjoyed camping in the desert or at the beach, traveling to Disneyland and Hawaii. Later, she vacationed with her children and grandchildren to Disneyland, Mount Rushmore and to graduations and weddings. Carol also had the opportunity to travel to Europe, Africa and the Holy Lands as she enjoyed learning about new people and different cultures.
When tragedy struck, Carol and Charles suddenly had a full house when their son and granddaughter, Susan moved back home. Charles and Carol bought a new home in Mountain View in 1978 to have room for everyone. Carol was dedicated to her family and joyfully hosted many family celebrations, and especially loved the tradition of hosting Christmas Eve. She provided a home to help family members, as well as for Fredys, a refugee from Honduras, whom she encouraged as he went to school and earned his citizenship.
Carol is survived by her son Charles (Pam) Verrey, daughter Jennifer (Sam) Doying; grandchildren, Susan (Denver), Jillian (Kevin), Kimberly (Ryan), Charlie (Chloe), Tyler (Taryn), and Mackenzie; and great-grandchildren, Aaron, Brandon, Grace, Sam, Charlie, Tyler, and Matthew.
A Memorial Service will take place at the Sunnyvale Presbyterian Church, 728 W Fremont Avenue, Friday, June 28, at 10:00 AM. Carol found great joy in helping others. In lieu of flowers, donations to any one of the three organizations listed below are greatly appreciated:
Children's Discovery Museum of San Jose
180 Woz Way
San Jose, CA 95110
National Veterans Foundation
5777 West Century Boulevard
Suite 350
Los Angeles, CA 90045
Diabetes Action Research and Education Foundation
6701 Democracy Boulevard
Suite 300
Bethesda, MD 20817