Carol Jean Wilson

Carol Jean Wilson

December 22, 1938 - May 5, 2026

Carol (Larkins) Wilson passed away unexpectedly of natural causes at her Battle Ground home on May 5, at the age of 87. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends. Carol was born on December 22, 1938 in Olympia, Washington to Richard Larkins and Margarete (Harder) Larkins; she was the oldest of their 5 children. Carol attended St. Michael’s Catholic School in Olympia from 1st- 4th grade, before the family moved to Brush Prairie, WA, where she attended Providence Academy in Vancouver, WA, earning her high school diploma in 1956.

Carol met her future husband, Bill Wilson on a blind-date in the summer of 1956, they both went on to attend the University of Portland, where she graduated from Nursing School, while Bill received his degree in Business Administration. Shortly before their college graduations, on May 14, 1960 Carol and Bill were married. They started their family one year later, welcoming a daughter and before long, two sons.

After living in two small homes in Vancouver, in 1964 Bill & Carol were able to purchase a lot in a Hazel Dell neighborhood, complete with plans to build their first custom home, with Carol choosing many of the custom design elements. Carol’s brothers, her father, Bill’s mother, and even Carol’s little sister Kate all donated many hours of labor, helping the young couple save money wherever they could. Carol’s brother Jim showed Bill how to properly install a cedar shake roof, while Carol and the women were inside on ladders staining the high wooden beams in the raised ceilings. The family could always be counted on to lend a hand and help one another. In 1968 Carol and Bill welcomed their third child Mark, so by 1970 they felt it was time to move to a bigger home. The family then moved to the Orchards area and started a new project, buying a 2-story farmhouse, fixer-upper, on acreage, complete with barns for animals, where Bill and Carol's remodeling skills were really tested! By 1976 Bill and Carol had purchased property in Battle Ground and designed and built their last family home on five wooded-acres with a tiny creek running through it, where they remained until 2021. Carol’s nursing career during these years was spent at the Vancouver Clinic OBGYN department, working part-time while she raised her 3 children. She retired after 25 years there. In 2022 Carol purchased a smaller, one-story home in a neighborhood in downtown Battle Ground, where she enjoyed setting up her household, frequent family visits, and spending time on her back deck.

For almost 20 years, as the kids grew, the Wilson family spent most Sundays and holidays in Brush Prairie with Carol’s parents and siblings at the Larkins’ family farm, where the growing clan had fun sharing big meals made by Grandma Margaret, conversations, family reunions, and outdoor games. The most treasured summer vacations for Carol, Bill and their 3 kids included trips to Rockaway Beach, Oregon with their close friends Jerry and Madeleine Clancy and their 3 children, to stay at their cabin. As the kids got older Carol and Bill enjoyed several trips each year to their own family cabin at Long Beach, WA, which she enjoyed decorating in ‘beach shabby chic.’ While there, Carol always looked forward to visiting her mother Margarete, her brother Jim and his wife Barb, who all lived in Long Beach at the time. In retirement Carol and Bill enjoyed time spent with their family, and road-trips around the Northwest. One mission on these trips for Carol was stopping at a few garage sales or ‘junk stores’ where she found many of her treasured possessions!

Carol will be remembered for being a loyal friend, her willingness to listen well to her family and friends, and offering her thoughtful ‘take’ on their situation if asked. In addition to her family, one of the greatest gifts in Carol’s life was her close, lifelong friendships with a few special women from Providence Academy and the University of Portland Nursing School.

Many who knew Carol thought her true calling might have been Interior Design, as she always had a strong passion for remodeling and decorating her homes, with a real eye and talent for making the spaces, both inside and outside of her homes, look unique and perfectly arranged. She always prioritized ‘green space’ off the decks of each of her homes, so she could sit and enjoy the view. All who knew Carol also remember the many varieties of beautiful Christmas cookies she baked and gifted to them each year, many coming from her mother’s German family recipes.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, and in 2021 by Bill, her husband of 61 years. She is survived by her three children; Gayle (Mike) Kaplan of Seattle; Greg (Brenda) Wilson of Battle Ground; Mark (Valerie) Wilson of Seattle; her five grandchildren Darrin Wilson (Samantha Sudy), Kyle (Miranda) Wilson, Haley (Josh) Summers, Max Kaplan and Kylie Kaplan; and her 2 year-old great-grandson Wilson Sudy (with two more great-grandchildren expected this summer.) Carol is also survived by her two brothers, Jim (Barbara) Larkins; Mike (Joyce) Larkins; two sisters, Kate Larkins-Barnes (Johnny Barnes) and Marianne Larkins-Strawn (Andy Strawn), as well as one nephew, seven nieces, and their many children.

The funeral mass for Carol will be held on Thursday, May, 28, 1:30 pm at Sacred Heart Catholic Church 1603 N. Parkway Ave. Battle Ground. Graveside services to follow at Sacred Heart Cemetery at the corner of 132nd Ave and 249th St. A reception afterwards will be at the home of Greg & Brenda Wilson in Battle Ground. 

In lieu of flowers please consider a donation in Carol’s name to your favorite charity, or to Advocacy and Caring for Children (ACC)- a NW Washington women's volunteer organization, which Carol's daughter Gayle has been a member of for 25 years. https://www.advocacyandcaringforchildren.org/