Carole Mae Corbett's Obituary
Carole Corbett passed away peacefully with her family by her side on October 25, 2024 at the age of 64. Born and raised in Whittier, California, she was the daughter of John and Viola Corbett and our beautiful sister.
Carole was born with an extra chromosome, which made her extraordinary. She had Down’s Syndrome. It’s said that those with this condition are “angels on earth,” only light and kind, never touched by anger, or despair. She epitomized such a person.
With the devoted help of our parents and the dedicated educators, caregivers and professionals that supported and worked with her, Carole realized her full potential as a remarkable person who overcame unbeatable odds to live an independent, fulfilling and joyful life.
Carole brought a smile to everyone she met. She could be a little firecracker! Her liveliness, and especially her sense of humor, put people at ease right away. Yet she was also innocent, vulnerable and sincere. She brought out the best in people. It was a natural thing for people to give back to Carole the goodness and kindness that she gave to them.
Carole’s mother, Viola, was instrumental in Carole becoming the confident, happy, self-reliant person that she was.
In early childhood our sweet sister suffered profound hearing loss and received intensive speech and reading therapy at Whittier College. Incredibly, she learned American Sign Language as a backup to reading lips which supplemented her use of special hearing aids.
She continued to learn and converse well. Carole accomplished a remarkable feat. She was the first person with Down Syndrome to graduate from California High School in Whittier.
When Carole turned 20 she had a life changing set back. She was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and became insulin dependent. But she would not let that stop her! Carole went on and took special classes at a local hospital and learned to test her own blood sugar level, then figure out the proper dosage using a color coded chart and give herself an insulin injection. She did this more than three times a day for 45 years!
Our sister loved educating her nieces and nephews about her disease. She would have them get involved with the injection process by having them “make a pocket” for her, pinching her skin to lift it up where she would then inject the insulin. Carole was methodical and exact about her insulin intake logging her doses in a special notebook.
This was all quite an achievement for one with her disabilities. Carole and our mother, Viola, were nationally recognized for it. In 1986 the American Diabetes Association named them Mother and Daughter of the Year.
Living as much of an independent life as possible was an ultimate goal of Carole’s and she succeeded beyond expectations.
In 1993, she was inducted into the California Governor’s Hall of Fame for People with Disabilities in recognition of her remarkable independence. For ten years, she lived on her own in an independent living complex, where she learned to cook balanced meals, manage a budget, do her own shopping, and volunteer at the American Red Cross in Whittier.
Carole also received national recognition in 1999 when she was a featured speaker at the National Down Syndrome Society annual conference in San Francisco. There Carole spoke before a gathering of some 400 people and charmed them with her stories and received a standing ovation. Carole had an energy for life that nothing could dim. Carole was fun to be with!
She loved socializing, going to parties and telling jokes. She loved to dance, sing (especially to Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”), bowl, play tennis and swim. She participated in the Special Olympics for many years. She enjoyed traveling to Hawaii and Mexico with her mother and sister.
Her closeness to our mother, widowed since 1992, was enduring and deeply loving. Carole was always there to help our mom, give her companionship and brighten her day. When Viola moved from Whittier (after 56 years) to an assisted living center in Fremont, Carole followed and found a group home nearby.
The quality and fullness of Carole’s life when she moved to Fremont from Whittier was in huge part thanks to her case manager and social worker who directed her to the highly regarded programs at Friends of Children with Special Needs and helped greatly with Carole’s medical care. We will always be immensely indebted to Carole’s case manager.
Carole never complained once while she declined in health. Her warm, loving smile and gentle, giving spirit stayed to the end. Until we meet again, Carole, one fine day. We love you and miss you.
Carole is survived by her sister Cynthia (Topole) and brothers, Craig and Conrad.
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