Carol was born September 3, 1944 in Baltimore, MD to Irvin Louis Brown and Mary Catherine (Rassa) Brown. She eloped with the love of her life, Thomas Reed Coale on New Year’s Eve, 1962. Their life together started in Bel Air, MD with the addition of five children within six years. In 1972, they moved the family to Conroe, TX where Carol’s life revolved around her family until her death.
As a devoted mother, she baked cookies for their lunches and volunteered in their many activities, most notably the Oak Ridge Otters swim team. It was the swim team that brought Carol together with her dearest friend, Sharon Tredway. Eventually, Carol joined the US Masters Swim Team in The Woodlands, TX. She loved swimming for exercise and competition, and her children loved cheering her on.
Her greatest treasures were her ten grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Being their Gammie, she took great joy in caring for them at every opportunity. She was their daycare, chauffeur and nurse. She volunteered at their schools, attended school performances and was their number one cheerleader at sporting events. Carol loved to bake, famous for her Cold Oven Pound Cake and Red Velvet Cake, and taught her grandchildren her secrets. Above all, Carol cherished time spent with family, particularly weekly family dinners.
In 2012, Tom and Carol celebrated 50 years of marriage with a renewal of vows and a huge party for their large family and many friends. She also enjoyed square dancing, cruises with friends, lunching with her friends, Sharon, Janice, and Joanne, sunbathing, family trips to the beach and Disneyworld, and spending time with dear friends, Craig and Leela Collier.
The family especially wants to thank her primary caregivers, Monica Wise and Teresa Moreno, who took loving care of her this last year. We would also like to thank all the medical professionals at the Houston ALS Clinic and the Houston office of the ALS Association – Texas Chapter.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Tom, and their children, Jeannie Coale of Austin, Mary Coale Murphy and husband John, of Houston, Louis William Coale and wife Leah, of The Woodlands, J.P. Coale of Spring, and Sally Coale Kehrberg and husband Karl, of College Station. Her grandchildren are Robin Coale, Tommy Coale and wife, Jordan, Patrick Coale and fiancé, Cassandra Sweeck, Andrew Kehrberg, Kayla Coale, Molly Murphy, Anna Coale, Morgan Kehrberg, Katy Murphy and Abby Murphy. Her great-grandchildren, who were the light of her life, are Hudson and Tatum Coale. She is also survived by four sisters, Dorothy Stewart, Bonnie Bailey, Donna Nohe and Patricia Foard, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held Wednesday, November 11, 2020 at Cashner Funeral Home from 5:00pm to 7:00pm with Rosary recited at 7:00pm. Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, November 12, 2020 at 10:00am at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Conroe, Texas. Pallbearers will be Patrick Coale, Tommy Coale, John Murphy, Karl Kehrberg, Mike Tredway and Craig Collier.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made in her name to the ALS Association of Texas, 1213 Hermann Drive, Suite 525, Houston, TX 77004 or to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
