Carol Marie Czarnowski lost her 19-year battle with various cancers (breast, colon, uterine & finally ovarian) on October 20, 2021, surrounded by loved ones at her home in Spring, Texas.  Carol was born on September 15, 1939, in Huntington, New York, to Louis & Martha Czarnowski.  She was soon joined by 3 siblings – Joanne, Louis & Rick.  One of her aunts always referred to them as her 4 knock knocks.  At some point Carol & Rick began referencing each other in their communications as #1 and #4.  Being close together in age the four of them were very close as kids and Carol stayed close to them even after she moved to California.

Carol always referred to herself as a jack of all trades – her jobs included banking, chrome plating, plumbers apprentice, facsimile coordinator, bundle spotter & circulation manager, office manager, and finally a courier.  While she always found joy in her work (most importantly the people) she retired in September of 2001 and took up her real passion – volunteering.  She was active in the Antioch Riverview Garden Club serving as Program Chair and President, bagged groceries for the Antioch Ministerial Food Closet, was Trustee & Outreach Chair of the First Congregational Church of Antioch, was Survivor Chair for the Antioch & Pittsburg Relays for Life and so many other small things to help others.  Carol always had a vagabond spirit and in the 1960s she spent 18 months travelling the US & Canada in a Volkswagen hatchback and canvas tent with a friend and their 2 dogs.  After Carol met Jan in 1983, they took advantage of every opportunity to travel - loving to take road trips that included straight through drives from California to Montana and in 2019 the long awaited roadtrip to Alaska.   They were also lucky enough to take an Olivia cruise in the western Caribbean and a fabulous Viking European River cruise.  Keenly aware that cancer would likely reoccur, they lived life to the fullest and made sure to spend important events with family.

Carol is survived by her spouse, Jan Schrock, of 38 years (legally married in 2008 – on their 25 ^th anniversary), her sister Joanne, her brother Rick & his wife Nora, her sister-in-law Joan, nieces, Jill & Melissa, nephews, Richard John & Richard Scott, and a wide group of loving in-laws. Carol was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Lou (#3).

A celebration of Carol's life will be held next spring in California.  Details will be firmed up in early 2022. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to:  Plymouth United UCC Church, 5927 Louetta Road, Spring, TX 77379; online giving at www.plymouthunited.org/giving