Carole Lynn Hare

September 4, 1952 – July 2, 2026

Carole Lynn Hare lived an active, adventurous, and joy-filled life. She was always "finding her joy" through the relationships she cultivated, the people she served, and the new experiences she eagerly embraced.

Carole was a proud member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians.

While attending college, she worked as a telephone operator before long-distance dialing was available in Northern Michigan. She often said it was the most fun job she ever had.

She graduated from Lake Superior State University in 1976 with a bachelor's degree in Business Education. Soon after graduation, she took her first airplane flight from Michigan's Upper Peninsula to Monrovia, Liberia, where she taught high school business classes at the American Cooperative School for three years. During that time, she traveled extensively throughout northern Africa and many parts of Europe.

Carole returned to the United States in 1979 and settled in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she welcomed her two sons, Jonathan and Jeremy.

In 1986, she returned to Michigan's Upper Peninsula. While working at Northern Michigan University, she earned her master's degree in Counseling. Over the next four decades, she dedicated her career to improving the lives of others through counseling, therapy, and social work.

She worked for Community Mental Health in Newberry as a Community Prevention Coordinator before serving the Marquette Area Public Schools for 23 years. She spent her first 10 years as an elementary school counselor—becoming Marquette's first elementary counselor—and the following 13 years as a high school counselor.

After retiring from the public schools, Carole moved to St. Petersburg, Florida, where she delighted in helping care for her first grandchild.

In 2016, she returned to the Upper Peninsula to be closer to her father, Jerome, and worked for the Sault Tribe in Manistique as a mental health therapist. In 2022, she moved to the Seattle area to be near her younger son and his family. She continued working as a therapist until retiring for good in 2024.

Carole was adventurous by nature and rarely turned down a new opportunity. She loved to travel, visit friends and family, and explore new places. One of the most meaningful travel experiences of her life was a trip to Israel with her church group in 2016.

Wherever she lived, Carole became deeply involved in her community. Her many interests and activities included:

 Dancing with the Folk Dancing Group in Marquette, Michigan

 Volunteering with Hospice in St. Petersburg, Florida

 Volunteering with the Beach Watchers of Snohomish County, Washington

 Hosting numerous Bible studies and serving on retreat leadership teams for divorced and separated individuals in several communities

 Organizing the neighborhood "Ping Pong Pals" gatherings at her home in Everett, Washington

 Attending neighborhood park socials, where she especially loved Friday night dancing

 Staying active at the YMCA, where she enjoyed yoga, water aerobics, and Zumba Gold classes

 Participating in countless book clubs throughout her life

She loved to crochet, sew, write, and read. She was the published author of The Legend of Kitchitikipi, released in 2020. She also found great joy outdoors, whether working in her garden, walking in the woods, or spending time at the beach. She often took spontaneous day trips to explore, sometimes accompanied by her beloved dog, Monty, and other times by friends.

Above all else, Carole cherished being "Grandma" to her six grandchildren. She had this amazing ability to play with the kids, get them to laugh and creating lasting memories. She sewed regalia for them, took them to powwows in the Seattle area, taught them how to make her special pies, and loved gathering the family around the table for meals. Her visits to her Florida grandchildren always included pie-making and special adventures together.

Carole had a deep and abiding faith. She was devoted to daily meditation and prayer and kept a gratitude journal for more than 30 years, ending each day by writing down five things for which she was thankful. She was positive, outgoing, energetic, and made friends wherever she went.

"Follow Your Joy" was Carole's life motto, and she lived it every day.

Carole is survived by her two sons, Jonathan and Jeremy; her six grandchildren, Lukas, Camden, Mila, Beckett, Levi, and Easton; and the many family members, friends, colleagues, and community members whose lives she touched.