Caroline Ann Ponte

Caroline Ann Ponte, born Caroline Ann Costello on January 13, 1956, in Corona, California, passed away peacefully on December 23, 2024, in Lake Forest, California. She was surrounded by family in her final moments. Carol was a devoted wife to her husband of 46 years, Paul Ponte. Together, they built a life filled with love and cherished memories.

Carol and Paul were proud to claim Orange County as their lifelong home. They both attended Sycamore Elementary School in Tustin, followed by C.E. Utt Junior High School, and went on to attend Tustin High School, class of 1973.

Carol and Paul dated in high school, but it wasn’t until they both went to college – Carol to Saddleback Junior College where she studied business and accounting, and Paul to UC Irvine – that they decided to spend the rest of their lives with each other. Carol and Paul became engaged in 1977 after Paul graduated, and they married in 1978. They purchased their present home in Lake Forest in 1984. Carol called it her forever home, and after forty years of raising a family and living on Belshire Way it turned out to be just that.

Carol was the proud mother of four daughters, who were the light of her life. Starting with the firstborn Jessica, married to Shannon Thomas, then Jamie, married to Brian Deedler, along with grandchildren Aubrey and Kaden, followed by Amanda, married to Adrian Revel, along with grandchildren Evan and Natalie, and just this last July, the youngest, Michelle, wed Reid Hooper.

Carol also leaves behind a sister, Nancy Haffner and her husband Frank, a brother, Michael Costello and his wife Debbie, and numerous nieces and nephews, all of whom she loved.

Carol and Paul retired in 2020 and immediately set out to enjoy the freedom of their new lifestyle. They took cruises to Puerto Vallarta, vacations to Mexican resorts on the Sea of Cortez, Wine tasting on California’s central coast, and many trips to Palm Springs. Carol especially loved week long trips to Hawaii, where she and Paul enjoyed sunbathing on Polo Beach in Maui for hours while gazing at the beautiful blue waters. Most recently, a Thanksgiving family vacation to Loreto, Mexico, was a vacation that Carol declared as one of the best weeks in her life.

Carol loved to walk, and she and Paul especially enjoyed a late morning stroll along the shoreline at Crystal Cove, where they marveled at the beauty and solitude of one of California’s most beautiful stretches of beach within just a few minutes’ drive of their home. Carol called this walk “one of her amenities.” She also enjoyed movies, reading books, baking cookies, and most of all, spending time with her daughters and their families. She was considered “one of the girls” by her daughters and was delighted that some people thought she looked like one of the sisters.

Carol’s warmth and dedication to friends and family touched all who knew her. She lived a full and happy life, bringing joy to her family and friends. Her legacy endures in the hearts of her loved ones and those fortunate enough to have shared in her journey. May her memory bring comfort and peace to all who miss her.

Final arrangements are pending.