On September 4, 2026, our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend, Carol Sue LaTorre, passed away to be with our Lord and Savior.

Mom’s journey began on March 30, 1938, in Hudson, N.Y., where she was born to Walter and Susan Sterner. While we don’t know every detail of her childhood, the pieces we do have paint a picture of a vibrant, joyful girl. We know she had her very own ice skates, a treasured possession she loved to glide on. We know she loved the simple joy of picking apples with her mother at the farm down the road, and shared a special bond with her father while cheering alongside him at baseball games.

Perhaps the most unique chapter of her early life was the home she grew up in — a house built from a wrecked steamboat, complete with a spiral staircase, a dumbwaiter, and built-in cabinets. Much like that house, Mom’s life became a beautiful testament to taking unexpected pieces, weathering life’s storms, and constructing something resilient and wonderful.

In 1965, Mom moved across the country to Ferndale. By 1972, she faced the challenges of raising a family as a single mother during a difficult era. She never faltered. On a waitress’s salary, she accomplished the remarkable feat of providing for her children and building a true home for her family. She was a fiercely devoted mother who loved Eric, Bruce, Darryl and Gina with every ounce of her being. She taught us what resilience looks like, not by lecturing us, but by waking up everyday and doing the work of love.

Where did she find the strength to do all this? The absolute center of her life was her love for God and her church. For decades, you could find here there all the time-a quiet, faithful presence in our little town of Ferndale. In her later years, when her health changed and she physically could not make it to church, her devotion didn’t stop. She carried the church in her heart, and her faith remained her anchor until her very last breath. Her life brings to mind the words of St. Paul in scripture: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day.” Mom truly kept the faith.

She poured her heart of service into the Ferndale community for over 55 years. She was a dedicated member of the Ferndale VFW Auxiliary.Later in life, she spent nine years working as a teacher’s aide for the Glenn Paul School. It takes a very special soul to work with children who have special needs, and Mom had exactly the kind of patience and gentleness required to make those kids feel valued and loved.

Mom was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved sister, Marie. But her legacy lives on vividly through her four children, her six grandchildren and her eight great-grandchildren.

We will miss her presence deeply, but we take comfort knowing she is finally resting in the peace of the Lord she served so well. She gave us everything she had, and she left this world a more beautiful, structurally sound place because of her love.

Rest in peace, Mom.