Carol Ruth Ann Hillman passed to “the other side” March 21, 2026 at Providence St. Joseph Hospital in Eureka. Carol was born June 2, 1949 at a small hospital in Lodi.
Her devoted husband of 26 years Raymond W. Hillman was by her side. She was predeceased by a brother, Harvey of B.C., her parents Emma & Harvey Janszen, and her much loved grandmother.
Survivors are a very caring son, Theodore, and a sweet granddaughter, Jade; sister-in-law Pam Janszen; and her husband, historian, Raymond.
After Carol graduated from Berkeley High School, she found employment with Pacific Telephone Co. as an overseas operator mainly in Monterey. Later she was in retail at Mervyn’s stores Richmond, San Francisco and Eureka. While at the Eureka store she took great pride in wrapping gifts.
She met Raymond in Eureka as a customer of his guided tour of Ferndale and she was the only one that day. Carol’s interest centered around going to the movies, sometimes weekly if not every two or three weeks with her son, at the local cinemas.
She loved animals, particularly her pet cat Mao and dog Lola. Last August she adopted a kitten named Purrsantan to gift to her son.
She had an elegant wardrobe that was curated through years of going to local boutiques with her granddaughter, where they would spend quality time shopping together. Carol also wore mismatching earrings to add whimsical charm into life.
She knew the name of any flower she saw and always liked to roast pumpkin seeds after the pumpkins were carved for Halloween.
She was also a ferroequinologist, always loving trains. She enjoyed a trip on the Coast Starlite from Eureka to Seattle. She will be greatly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Carol lived in Humboldt County in Eureka for over 25 years. The temperate weather as well as the beaches and redwoods were what made her love the area. Cremains are held by the family.
A celebration of life was held on April 1 at her favorite restaurant, Amigas Burritos, with family and friends.
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