Carol Joyce Topping

Carol Joyce Topping was a modest woman, quiet and observant in her ways. She was trustworthy and traditional in her approach to her life and in her relationships. She was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew her. She was also a woman who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything she undertook. Realistic about life, she was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

Her parents were Guilford and Leonora 'Helen’ Moore. She moved often after World War II, from Concord NC to Florida, Texas, and Southern California. She was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve her well throughout her life. Carol was raised with two brothers. She had Guilford 'Gil,' and Dennis 'Denny.' (Denny called her Ra-Ra because he couldn't pronounce Carol).

As a young child, Carol was never someone who needed to be the center of attention. She wasn’t pushy and never forced her way into games or other activities. Carol developed a variety of interests, though, and she did everything she enjoyed well. She was always curious about the world around her and was often eager to explore it. Because she had poor eyesight and little depth perception, she didn't take part in sports. In her spare time, she liked playing with her paper dolls. Her older brother Gil would create puppet shows for her and her cousin Marie by slipping the dolls up through the spaces in the wood floorboards. One of young Carol's achievements was making up an adaptation of the children’s play language—double talk. She termed her version goose talk. However, what Carol relished most was simply playing and spending time with her many friends.

She graduated from Mark Keppel High School in Alhambra, California in 1956. She valued some courses more than others, having favorite classes and teachers. She mastered shorthand and typing, achieving impressive speeds of over 120 words per minute. Using her exceptional memory, she was able to learn much through observation. Carol always seemed to have a command of the facts and was able to make it seem as though she could easily master any problem that might be presented to her. As a non-traditional student she earned her Associates degree in Horticulture at Colorado State University.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Carol was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during her life. It was not uncommon for Carol to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought her out for advice because she had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of her best friends were Marie Pleasant (cousin) and for a short time Linda Volin who became a lifelong pen pal. Later in life, she became friends with Barbara Kasten and Linda Palmieri.

She took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it her total commitment. In 1959, she married Frederick Alford in Los Angeles, California. In 1976, she married Robert Topping in Longmont, Colorado. She was blessed with two sons, Stephen and Vincent. She would always listen carefully and think things through before she acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Carol was also a walking schedule, always seeming to know what everyone in the family needed to do, where they needed to be and when they needed to be there. When her sons grew up, she was also blessed with three grandchildren, Christopher, Michael, and 'Sun'.

Carol greatly enjoyed what she did for a living. She was a hard worker who expected the same in return from her co-workers. Carol enjoyed dealing with concrete ideas and could penetrate any amount of fuzzy information to reach the essential facts. She was an efficient worker, one who paid careful attention to detail, allowing sufficient time to complete one task before moving on to the next. Her primary occupations changed as she moved through differing stages of her life. As a young woman she was as an Administrative Assistant, then in middle age: a Flora Consultant and managed her own landscaping company with her husband Bob. Later she did real estate on the Western Colorado slope, finishing as an Associate Broker. Carol worked hard to be a team player, doing what was necessary in order to get the job done.

Carol liked to experience things first-hand as well as learn about them. This trait carried over into her hobbies, where she was very methodical in how she organized her activities and categorized things. Her favorite pursuits were horticulture, cake decorating, sewing, embroidering, quilting, crafting, painting, and genealogy. Carol was content to enjoy her hobbies alone but was also willing to share her interests with others. Perhaps her greatest adventure was in her genealogy quest to find and know her ancestors. She traced her mother’s line deep into the Middle Ages, stemming solely from the Portuguese Azores Islands in the midst of the Atlantic. She discovered her father’s line traced a direct path to John Howland, who came to America on the Mayflower in 1620. Her staggeringly impressive research took her even further into Europe.

As a woman who always showed great commitment to the things she believed in, it’s little wonder that Carol was so active in her community. Carol was never afraid to roll up her sleeves and dig right in. Carol was a member of several community groups, including competing in many categories at the county fair. Some of her most prestigious awards included many, many blue ribbons for food preservation and sewing clothing. Later in Las Vegas she was a regular participant at sewing club and Red Hat Society (Grand Duchess Caterina of the Isle of Pico).

Carol was a woman who was dedicated and devoted to her faith. She was a member of the Catholic Church for fourteen years and spent the rest of her life as a non-denominational Christian. She was a sympathetic woman who valued her beliefs and was willing to work tirelessly for them.

Carol enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since she was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Carol appeared effortless. She enjoyed researching all of her examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. Plus, no matter where she traveled, Carol always had a backup plan at the ready, just in case. Favorite vacations included an Alaskan cruise, a Caribbean cruise, and trips across the US in a motorhome.

Carol was a lover of animals and cherished her pets. She had many dogs over her lifetime, Trigger the doberman, Moxie the black terrier mix, and Yoda the cairn terrier. When living outside the city, she named some of the farm animals with comical names like her two steers-- Porterhouse and Sirloin, or her roosters Stonewall and Double Meenie.

She worked as long as she could, and didn't retire until 2018. She always trusted and placed value in what was logical and in the things she knew, so she was very confident in planning her retirement. She had begun the process early and had her retirement all laid out well in advance. Her new life involved relocating from Evans, Colorado to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2016. In retirement, she found new pleasure in the Red Hat Society and Sewing Club. Even in retirement, Carol continued to stay in touch with her old friends while making plenty of new acquaintances. She was active in her new community and felt fulfilled.

Carol Joyce Topping passed away on May 17, 2023 at home while under hospice care. For at least two years, she battled ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease. She is survived by her son, Stephen; stepchildren, Carla, Diana, Stan and Patty; thirteen grandchildren, and eighteen great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband, Robert, son Vincent, stepdaughter Bev, stepson Steve, and one grandchild. Services were held at Palm Southwest Mortuary in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her ashes will be spread at Jenny Lake, viewing the Grand Tetons in Wyoming, along with her deceased son, Vince.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Carol Joyce Topping. She was committed to living the life of a good woman who was both practical and trustworthy. She was committed to the traditional values that she upheld her entire life. She committed herself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around her. Most of all, she was committed to those she knew and loved.