MCALISTER, Carol Elizabeth Ann (nee Sutherland) - On the evening of Sunday, April 14, 2024, Carol Elizabeth Ann, passed away peacefully surrounded by family, with her much loved cat Rosie close by her side.
While there were many defining characteristics that made Carol the woman who was loved and cared for by many, the thing that she was the proudest to share with anyone she met was how honoured she was to be called mom by Ted (Becky) and Ben (Emilie) and grandma to Alex and Rhys.
Carol was the happiest and most content when she was surrounded by her family and close friends.
Carol was diagnosed with cancer 3 different times in her life. Each time, she fought the disease with everything that she had, no matter the prognosis.
Being a cancer survivor became not only a badge of honour for Carol but also a reminder that life was precious and shouldn’t be wasted. After her first battle, she joined a dragon boating team that was comprised entirely of breast cancer survivors, she (several times) completed the 60-km Weekend to End Breast Cancer walk, she met new people, she went on dates and eventually found love again, in her late husband, Bill Boncheff.
The two were happily married for almost 10 years before his sudden passing in 2019.
Born in Kitchener/Waterloo on July 18, 1948, Carol was adopted by John and Pat Sutherland. While she never met her birth parents, she always wondered who they were.
A closed adoption file made this exceptionally challenging, but through the magic of genealogy she was able to connect with her maternal Aunt Barb and siblings, Roger, Doug, Debra, Ken, and Bev. While she had grown up in a house with a brother, Fred, she always felt like there was a piece of her missing. Connecting with her biological family, helped her find a kind of happiness and connection that she’d never before experienced.
While she might not have had them in her life for a long time, she treasured every moment, every text, every conversation shared with each of them. Carol was a caring, compassionate woman who loved to laugh with friends and family. The connections that she made throughout her life carried her through every chapter of her story.
Whether they were friends she made in childhood, friends she made in her middle chapters or friends she met closer to the end, they were all just as important to her. No matter how long it had been since she had last seen someone, she was always ready with a welcoming smile, a warm hug, and a genuine concern for how they were doing.
The strength of these connections was clearly evidenced to her family by the number of phone calls, texts, cards and visits she received over the last few weeks.
Each one meant so much to her – thank-you for making her heart happy and her days a little bit brighter. The memories and stories we all have of Carol will live in our hearts and our memories forever and we are all better for having known her.
Arrangements with McEACHNIE FUNERAL HOME .
Her wishes were to not have a funeral, but yet a celebration of life where she was truly celebrated with margaritas and ice cream. Details of this will be shared with her family and friends in the coming days.
Should you wish to make a donation in her memory, we would encourage you to consider gifting to the Durham Regional Cancer Centre or the Ajax-Pickering Palliative Care Team.
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