Carole Louise Pettit

IN MEMORY AND CELEBRATION

CAROLE LOUISE PETTIT

January 20, 1943 - February 17, 2018

MEMORIAL SERVICE

Saturday March 3, 2018 at 10:00 a.m.

Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Church

9180 W 38th Ave.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Wheat Ridge Presbyterian Music Department in
Carole's name.

It is with heavy hearts the family of Carole Pettit announce her passing on Saturday
February 17, 2018, after a ten year battle with Parkinson's disease. Carole was brave and
relentless in her pursuit to beat this illness. She astonished everyone with her resolve,
fortitude, and desire for life. Her husband Walt stood shoulder to shoulder with her in
this fight. They shared a deep, unwavering love and a journey that lasted 56 years. During
the most difficult times of her illness Walt always made certain each day was better than
the day before. And as with all caregivers, they also need care. This story would be
incomplete without Carole's advocate, extraordinary friend and caregiver Leslie Zimpel.
She is family. Her strength, heart and spirit are so immense she covered us in our time of
greatest need.

All who knew Carole, loved her. She was born and lived her entire life in Denver. In 1959
at the age of 16, she met Walt Pettit. After a first date to the movie Around the World in
80 Days, it seemed a match made in heaven! Love grew and after a charming proposal at
the local A&W Root Beer, the high school sweethearts married in 1961. This union was
blessed first with a daughter Jennifer, born in 1964 and then a son David, born in 1969.

Motherhood being her first priority, she wanted a career that would allow her to be home
when family was home. Healthcare was the perfect fit. It suited her caring and
compassionate nature, as well as her schedule! For twenty five years she worked for Dr.
Robert Wood in Wheat Ridge. She then became the Medical Transcriptionist /
Administrative Secretary for the Cardiac Rehabilitation Department at Lutheran Medical
Center. She was beloved and favored by co-workers and patients alike. Carole remained
at Lutheran for seventeen years retiring when her grandson Sam was born. This proved a
wise decision when her two granddaughters, Ava and Lily were born 3 years later!

Although Carole enjoyed hiking in the Colorado mountains, spending time with friends
and family, and traveling, her greatest loves by far were her three precious grandchildren.
Never passing up an opportunity to love, snuggle, kiss, hug, read, play, the list goes on.
The joy, laughter and smiles between them would melt your heart. It's been said a
grandmother is a combination of warmth and kindness, laughter and love; the one who
overlooks your faults, praises your every success and encourages your dreams. That was
Carole. Always, every day, until the end. Like throwing a stone in a pond, her passing is
far reaching.

Those she leaves behind are many. But our sadness is truly wrapped in peace. Her
suffering has ended and that is a blessing. We celebrate her beautiful life and know with
certainty her spirit continues to embrace us and touch our lives each and every day.

Carole is survived by her loving Husband Walt, Daughter Jennifer Starkovich (Clint),
Son David (Lori), and her three amazing grandchildren Samuel Starkovich, Ava
Starkovich and Lily Pettit.
Cousin Charles Howard, Cousin David Howard (Phyllis), Cousin Barbara Gardner
(Bob), Cousin Kathleen O'Hearn, Cousin Fred Schimpfle (Deonne), Cousin Charlie
Schimpfle (Valerie), Sister-in-law Nancy Stegner, Niece Susie Overton (David)
(Derrick), Niece Terri Burke (Mark) (Sarah), (Julie), (Jack), Sister-in-law Beverly
Christians (John), Niece Jill Christians, Brother-in-law John Pettit (Joyce), (Joddy),
(Jeremy), (Joanna), and many once removed cousins.