Carline V. Zarling

Carline Velma (Vaillancourt) Zarling, 83, passed away on February 4, 2019, in Carlsbad, Ca., surrounded by family, to whom she had devoted her life, her loving sons Barry, Kevin, and Wayne. She was preceded in death by her husband Wayne Henry Zarling, and by her daughter, Karen Kim Zarling.

Carline was born to Patrick Vaillancourt and Elise Lajoie on the Cyr Plantation in the small town of Van Buren, Maine. She was the second youngest of 10 children, and she graduated from Sacred Heart High School in Van Buren. She also attended the Connecticut School of Beauty Culture in Hartford, CT and became a Licensed Cosmetologist in the State of Connecticut. But her life really took off when she met the love of her life, Wayne H. Zarling, a member of the U.S. Air Force. They were married in 1957 and began their family in Connecticut with the arrival of Wayne Jr. in 1958, and then twins Karen and Kevin in 1961. Soon the family was in Maryland and then, not long after Barry was born in 1962, the family moved across the country to Chula Vista, California.

Carline undoubtedly found her first seven years in California to be the most joyful time of her life. She loved the California weather, developed great friendships, and saw her life blossom as a young wife and mother. But she was visited by unbelievable tragedy when her husband, Wayne, died in a helicopter crash at sea on June 13, 1969. Carline may possibly have never gotten over that heartbreak, but she tackled the challenges of being a single mother of four children and she continued to make a life for herself and her family. She focused on her Catholic faith and activities in her church, first at Saint Pius X in Chula Vista, CA, and then, after moving to Lemon Grove, CA in 1976, at Saint John of the Cross. At Saint John’s she was a volunteer, Eucharistic Minister, and member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.

Carline was never very good at sitting still. So as she raised her children she also plunged herself into a number of different jobs and business ventures over the years, from being an Avon Representative, and working as a licensed Real Estate Agent, to working for over 18 years as a hostess and manager in the restaurant industry, most notably at Buffum’s Chaumier Restaurant in Grossmont Center, La Mesa, CA - - even today, after that restaurant has been closed for many years, people recall how she personally made it a lovely and charming place to dine with family and friends. Over the years she also traveled, to Australia, Canada, Mexico, England, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the Caribbean.

The trials of moving across a continent and away from where she was raised, and of successfully raising her children by herself, made Carline believe in herself and her abilities. She was always confident, and remarkably fearless. She eventually formed a limited partnership with other investors to create Darby Enterprises – A Real Estate Development Company. She successfully invested in many real estate projects and purchased successful rental properties. But her proudest accomplishment in real estate was undeniably the custom home she built for herself in Lemon Grove in 1976. For 27 years that home was her retreat and her joy; the place from which her children launched into adulthood and where she routinely hosted her wide circle of friends and visiting relatives.

Tragically, Carline experienced another devastating loss when her daughter, Karen, was killed in an automobile accident in October 1985. Once again, Carline found strength in her Catholic faith, and in her belief that one day she would be reunited with her husband and daughter in Heaven. Despite the painful losses she experienced in her life, Carline constantly sought joy and humor and she brought the same to the lives of those around her. She lived her life in a way that reflected what she knew in her heart to be true, that the world is full of beauty, just as we now know in our hearts that the world is less beautiful because she is no longer with us.

Carline is survived by her three sons, Wayne H. Zarling II (Cheryl) of San Diego Co., California, Kevin K. Zarling (Suzanne) of Austin, Texas, and Barry B. Zarling (Joseph) of Encinitas, California. She is also survived by 4 grandchildren, Kristofer (Megan), Keenan (Sarah), Andrea, and Brittney, and by 4 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by two sisters, Patricia Cyr of South Portland, Maine, and Wilma Payette of Enfield, Connecticut.

The family asks that In lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association on their Tribute page in honor of Carline, at www.alz.org

A funeral mass will be held at 10:00 AM on March 15, 2019, at Saint John of the Cross Catholic Church, 8086 Broadway, Lemon Grove, CA 91945. Carline will be laid to rest at Glen Abbey Memorial Park in Bonita, CA. Family and friends are also invited to leave memories and condolences on pages dedicated to Carline at www.DignityMemorial.com and www.Legacy.com