It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our mother Carol L Morrow, the rock to her three children. She died at her home in Sunnyvale, CA on January 9, 2024.
Carol was born in Aberdeen, SD to Thorold and Leona Peterson on the first day of Spring, March 20, 1936. She was the youngest of 4 children and the only girl. When she was 9, her parents moved to Bozeman, MT where she attended elementary school, middle school, and Gallatin High School. Carol made many lifelong friends there, including her very best friend Betty.
Carol attended Montana State University and was a member of the Kappa Delta Sorority. Carol met Robert Morrow, and they married in September 1957 in Bozeman and shortly thereafter moved to Seattle, WA where Carol gave birth to their first daughter, Robin in 1958, and then daughter Dana in 1960. After a job relocation for Robert, the family moved to San Diego, CA where their son Don was born in 1963. The family relocated to other cities in CA, including Sacramento, Walnut Creek, and Pacifica.
Mom and the kids moved to Mountain View, CA after her divorce. As a single parent, she started her career as a receptionist at Cardinal Roofing and while working full time, was enrolled in accounting classes at the local college. With this new-found skill, she was in high demand for payroll and accounting positions at the technology companies that were rapidly expanding in our county.
The year 1984 was monumental for Carol and the family. Daughter Robin got married, Dana graduated from San Jose State University, and Don joined the Navy. Now an “empty nester” she purchased a mobile home in Sunnyvale and began many years of traveling the world with her lifelong friend Dan.
She and Dan loved Europe, visiting interesting locations like Morocco, but her favorite was the city of Venice, Italy. She had an entire wall of her home with various paintings and photos just of Venice.
Carols last place of employment before retirement was a start-up that afforded her to sell the mobile home and purchase a single-family home in Sunnyvale. She proudly paid off the mortgage in 28 short years. During her retirement she continued to travel and found time to volunteer at the local Senior Center. She became a member of the Red Hat Society and enjoyed many outings she had with her new-found friends.
Mom was a voracious reader, so it was important to her to leave a gift at her passing to the library at Montana State University.
She is survived by her daughters Robin Stevens (Paul) and Dana Dreher (Eric), and son Don. She is also survived by grandson Aaron Stevens and great-grandson Ari Stevens.
A Graveside Service will be held Saturday, October 5 at 10:00 A.M. at Sunset Hills Cemetery.
Arrangements are in the care of Dokken-Nelson Funeral Service. www.dokkennelson.com [dokkennelson.com]
