Susan Carroll

Susan Carroll was a loving woman with a robust energy for life. She had a strong personality and lively sense of humor, an adventuresome spirit and caring heart. Whether reading a book or taking a trip, tending to her family or telling a joke, Susan made life interesting and fun for herself and those around her.

Susan was born in Detroit, Michigan to Edward and Janet Goralski on December 30, 1953, during a period of American peace and prosperity. Especially in the Automotive Capital of the world, growth in industry and the job market gave workers an opportunity to build homes and start families that launched the baby boom era. In the Goralski family, Susan shared the good times with her siblings Shari, Edward, Steven, Therese and Sandy.

Growing up in Detroit and nearby Livonia, Susan graduated from Bentley High School in Livonia before furthering her education in college. She received an associate’s degree from Schoolcraft Community College that led to a career in retail, eventually as a manager. Over the years, she grew very fond of her fellow employees from Mervyn's department store and Burlington Coat Factory. However, it was early on, when she was working at Sears Auto Service Center, that she met a man who made her life even more fulfilling.

Terry Carroll and Susan had the opportunity, as fellow employees, to get to know each other day-in day-out. Their friendship grew into love and marriage that enriched their lives for 35 years. In that time, they were blessed with three children—Kevin, Brian, and Patrick, who experienced the devotion of their parents in small and great ways. Whether it was the work Susan put into the Halloween costumes she made for them every year or providing them with a Catholic education, their sons grew up knowing they were deeply loved.

Among the many joys of married life, Susan especially liked to travel with the “love of her life”. Anywhere she went with Terry was an adventure they could share together. When their oldest son, Kevin, married and added a daughter-in-law Melanie to the family. Susan was excited to finally have a daughter in the family. Susan couldn’t have been happier when Kevin & Melanie welcomed Charlie into the world 3 years ago, and she was thrilled to have been present at the birth of the newest love of her life. Over the next 3 years, Susan made many visits to Washington and Arkansas to visit Kevin, Melanie and baby Charlie, and whether it was going on trips to the zoo or reading books to him on her lap, she cherished her role as "Nannie" to Charlie.

At home, Susan’s interests were many and varied. she reveled in artistic pursuits, such as knitting and cross-stitching, yet she also enjoyed a good thrill from mystery and horror novels. Susan, was a life-long learner and seemed to always have a book in her hands, but she also liked to joke around. Her "boy" sense of humor seemed to be custom made for a mother of three rambunctious boys, and her love of life was contagious to everyone around her.

Susan will be dearly missed and lovingly remembered as a devoted wife, invested parent and proud grandmother.