Carol York Hightower's Obituary
Carol York Hightower departed this earth on Sunday, October 20, 2024 at the age of 83. Her friends and family will celebrate her remarkable life and spirit on Friday, November 15th at 12:00 PM at Hayward’s Chapel of the Chimes.
Carol was born on July 4, 1941, and true to her birthdate, was a firecracker all her life, with an inextinguishable twinkle in her sky blue eyes. She was adopted and raised in Oakland, California by Wallace and Lorraine York. She graduated from Piedmont High School in the class of 1959, adoringly known as “Yorkie” by her classmates Cassius Johnson, Barbara Zieminsky, Phil Nathanson, Bev Tornberg, Karen Lane, David Hardacre and Buzz Redford, to name a few.
Following high school, Carol married Robert Bigelow and became a mother to sons Robert in 1961 and Jeffrey in 1962. Following divorce, Carol met the love of her life in Dr. Jerry K. Hightower, whom she married on October 4, 1968. Their children Victoria, Edward, Elizabeth and Hillary followed, and chaos ensued.
After raising 6 children, Carol returned to school and ultimately graduated with high distinction from the California College of The Arts in 1989, having developed considerable talents for painting, ceramics and just about any artistic medium. In an amazing display of love and strength, she was able to earn her degree while providing full-time elder care to her parents.
A great animal lover, and mother to pets of all stripes, Carol became the artistic director of the Greater Swiss Mountain Dog Society, which allowed her to channel her wicked cleverness and sense of humor into digital art. Carol’s two Swissies, Banner and Penny, were often depicted in her artwork. Carol was passionate about music, particularly opera, classical and show tunes (which led to a lifelong crush on Gene Kelly). Astrology was a central pursuit in Carol’s life - if she knew you, she knew your birth time and likely had your birth chart on file. She was also a dedicated angler on the eternal quest to land Troutzilla - riding in style in her trusted vessel, the S.S. Cockeyed Junior, with a manhattan in her hand and her son Jeffrey by her side.
Carol took on the role of her life when she became “Grammie” to her four grandchildren: Natalie, Jackson, Frances and Alexander. She was the matriarch to a large, blended family, where she held close (and actively recruited) all those who were loved by her and hers, regardless of blood or marriage. Over the years, Grammie was pleased to welcome in-laws Beth Harris, Mary Clarke, Rob Davis, Josh Qualtieri, Veronica Torres, Tracy Bigelow and Nick Carlock into her family. Carol was predeceased by her brother William York and was very fond of her adoring niece, Terri York Marlett. She was also thrilled to discover the existence of 3 biological siblings, Mary, Edward and Jim Cargile, halfway through her life. Family was everything to her and love for us is the legacy we carry forward.
Later in life, Carol stubbornly survived a handful of heart attacks and strokes. She faced the ultimate test - whether or not she could survive death - and passed 2 out of 3 times. That’s just the kind of woman she was. She finally passed at home in the loving company of her husband, Jerry, shortly after their 56th wedding anniversary.
She leaves behind a massive fan club who will remember her always as a suffer-no-fools pioneer woman who loved her community fiercely. She was the sun at the center of our orbit. There are no words to describe how she will be missed.
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