Carol Schumacher

Carol Schumacher was born on January 30, 1943. She passed away on August 19, 2025 after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Those close to her are pretty sure Alzheimer's lost that fight, and she died when she damn well got around to it. Despite the disease taking her short-term memory, she never forgot the name of someone she loved. And she never lost her fire. Anyone who had the pleasure of being warmed by that fire over her eight decades on this planet will never forget the way she saw them. Her great gift was the ability to see just how wonderful each of us is and to cut through all the barriers that separate us with a knowing smile, effusive compliments, and a well-placed dirty joke.

She grew up in Wilmington, Illinois, where she was known for a fast car, a lead foot, and, according to her husband of over 60 years, a walk that could stop traffic. Charles Schumacher married her on January 22, 1964, and spent the next six decades trying to keep up. And he loved every second of it, whether he would admit it or not.

Everything she did was done with flair and style. Big jewelry, big smiles, big nails, and big hair all did their best to show just how big her heart was. She always got into just the right amount of trouble, and those who went on those adventures with her were better for it.

In her work, she was an unstoppable force. She smashed through barriers, egos, and goals with joy and determination. When Carol decided something needed to happen, the world learned to quickly say “Yes Ma’am”. And yet part of what made her so effective was how she treated people. Those who worked with her became lifelong friends and family. She didn’t draw much of a line between “friend” and “family” and opened her home and heart to both completely.

In a word, she was tough. Too tough for Alzheimer's to keep her from connecting with those she loved. Too tough to be held back by being a woman in the workplace. Too tough to let hardship and trauma keep her from building the life she wanted. Too tough to let all the little walls people put up stop her from breaking through to who someone really is.

The list of survivors who will remember Carol and do our best to carry her fire forward is too long for this obituary. It starts with her beloved husband, Charles. Her son, Chad. Chad’s wife Jessica and Carol's two grandchildren, Liam and Griffin. She has one surviving sibling, Bert. And three exchange students turned adopted children, Rodrigo, Alexandra, and Marcela.

She’s currently getting into more of just the right amount of trouble with the three siblings who preceded her in death, Kay, Larry, and Jerry, and her parents, Walter and Clarissa.

In life, we get two families, one we are born into and the one we create. Carol created a vast family that stretches far beyond her blood relatives and across borders. As such, the family will not be holding a single memorial, but instead, the celebration of Carol’s life will be a tour through various spots in Illinois, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Colombia, and anywhere else she decides to go. If Carol touched your life and you’d like to remember her with friends, reach out to her son Chad to coordinate a time and place. Per her wishes, her cremains will be with family until Charles passes, and they can rest together.

The family will be holding a celebration of life gathering at the VFW in Wilmington, IL, on Sunday, September 28, at 12:00 pm for local family and friends who would like to share a meal and remember Carol with stories and laughter.