Obituary of Carol Pack
Carol Ann Pack
November 20, 1952 - July 14, 2021
"Return to your rest, my soul, for the lord has been good to you." - Psalm 116:7
Carol transitioned from this life the way she wanted to, peacefully, in the early
morning hours of July 14th, 2021 in Portland, OR. She spent the last several
months with friends and family members visiting, and the last 6 weeks being
attended to by Damian & Angela in their home, Ricky, along with the care and
support of nurses and her hospice team.
Born in Sunflower County, Mississippi, Carol came from a huge family, who taught
her the value of Faith in God, community, and family. Through that upbringing
in the Jim Crow south, she learned that serving others while taking care of
family, makes hard times a little easier to deal with.
Before she was an adult, the family migrated like many African Americans, from
Mississippi towards the Midwest for a better life. She, her Mother, her siblings,
Grandmother, Great Grandmother, along with a handful of her Uncles, Aunt & cousins,
settled in the Western Michigan area.
And it was there in Muskgeon where she began to carry a torch, making sure she
helped people, even those she didn't know. One way she did this was by making
sure folks were well fed, entertained, and encouraged by her words of experience
and wisdom. She regularly took in people who didn't have a place to stay,
letting them stay until they had somewhere permanent to live.
With her sons, she unapologetically raised them to take care of themselves, and
to not make excuses for tough times life may have brought on. She, along
with many family members believed in the "it takes a village" philosophy, with
everyone, kin or not, helping to build up the next generation.
In 2002, after some heavy soul searching she made the journey west to Portland
to live our her last years. She met and befriended dozens of folks, always
showing that good southern hospitality, and making sure everyone "was good."
She often hosted family & friends cookouts, on certain occasions, right in
the parking lot of her apartment complex. And when anyone came to town, you
better believe they got that good old soul food cuisine!
We did say Carol had a HUGE family, right?! She met very few people that,
in time she didn't regard as family. Because of that there are way too
many to mention but just to name a few, she has:
5 Siblings- Patricia, John, Tawanda, Cynthia, Tyrie, Jackie (deceased).
3 Boys- Marcus (Jessica), Damian (Angela), Ricky (Bianca).
5 Grands- Marcus, LJ, Jayce, Lynix, and another one due the day before
her birthday.
1 Great Grandson- Na'Mir
She's been a Mother/Grandmother figure to a host of children who
affectionately call her Mama/Grandma Carol. Others left to cherish
her memory are: her Aunt and Uncle- Blanche and James (Larry).
Nieces- Omekia Smith, Tanisha Washington.
Nephews- Cory, Marco, Brandon.
A host of great nieces, nephews, 3 generations of cousins, with friends
and family from literally one coast to the other.
With regard to kindness and generosity CarolAnn is definitely one of the
best to ever do it, and she leaves behind very big shoes to fill.... her
presence will definitely be missed.
The sun shined just a little brighter in our lives because of who you were
to each of us!
Crown Memorial Centers specialize in Oregon Funeral, Burial, Cremation, Memorial Planning, Services and Arrangements
Serving Portland and Metropolitan communities including: Aloha, Aurora, Beavercreek, Beaverton, Boring, Canby, Clackamas, Donald, Downtown Portland, Eagle Creek, Estacada, Gladstone, Gresham, Happy Valley, Hillsboro, Hubbard, King City, Lake Oswego, McMinnville, Milwaukie, Molalla, Mt. Angel, Mulino, Newberg, Oregon City, Sandy, Sherwood, Silverton, Tigard, Tualatin, Vancouver WA, West Linn, Wilsonville and Woodburn.
In Salem and surrounding communities of: Albany, Brooks, Corvallis, Dallas, Detroit, Gervais, Independence, Jefferson, Keizer, Lebanon, Mill City, Monmouth, Scio, Stayton, Sublimity and Sweet Home.
