Carolyn Gillispie

Carolyn Irene Gillispie

Age 82 of St. Paul, MN passed peacefully in her sleep on December 29, 2021

Preceded in death by her parents, James and Anna Ross; siblings, Ronald, Stella, Arlene, Robert, Stanley, Dorothy and Edna; son, Joseph; daughter, Patricia; and step-son, Scott.
Carol is survived by her daughter Debbie (Ron) Barghini; grandchildren Angie Parisian (Tim) and Rocky Barghini; great-grandchildren Haley, Vinny, Brayden, Truman and Oscar;  step-children Jeannie Hapka (Vic), Patricia Peters (Ron), Richard Peters (Vickie), Yvonne Peters, Paul Peters (Linda), Kathy Otto (Tom); siblings, Jean Rauscher (Walter), Lorraine Gauster, Dick Ross (Mona) and Jim Ross (Marcia); and best friend Jan Larsin (Joe); and many nieces, nephews, extended family, and her lady friends at Lakeview.

Carol was a wonderful mom and was so proud of her grandkids Angie and Rocky. She just loved playing and chasing all of her great-grandkids.

Carol was caring and loving and would do anything for you. She loved country music and was quite the dancer. Her siblings, nieces/nephews called her Toots or Tootsie. She loved to play poker with her siblings and enjoyed sewing, crafts and gardening. She was a dog lover and had many pets over the years. Carol was adventurous and was always the life of the party.

She worked hard at many jobs in her lifetime, but always said her favorite job was raising all of her kids. She was employed at Whirlpool, also as a nurse/caregiver at White Bear Lake nursing Home and St. Joseph’s Hospital, the Ammunitions plant in Shoreview where she would put little notes in the ammunition boxes during the Vietnam War in the hope the troops or her brother Dick who was serving at the time would find them. She also worked at Taystee Bakery where she met her best friend Jan who nicknamed her Pete. She retired from the Ramsey County Courthouse.

She had many losses and difficult times in her life, but she always persevered and kept her sense of humor. She was a survivor of breast and uterine cancer for 47 years and volunteered to drive cancer patients to treatments.

Carol was kind, caring and full of love. She was always there for everyone and touched so many lives. She will be dearly missed.

A special thank you to the many caregivers at Lakeview Commons, New Perspectives and the Health Partners Hospice team for their loving care and support thruough Carol’s journey with dementia.

Private family services. Interment Roselawn Cemetery.