Carol Cervantes, 67, died peacefully on February 6, beside a roaring fire in a farmhouse in Wilmington, Vermont surrounded by her family. A lifelong Southern California girl, she enjoyed the beauty of her last winter in the snowy mountains together with Patrick Graham, her partner of 21 years, her children, Anna (David) Arslanian, Paul (Mildred), and Daniel (Christina), her grandchildren, Isaac, Penelope, Daniela, Jacob, Alejandra, and Abigail, siblings Warren and Marilyn, former husband Francisco, lifelong friends and companions, including Cheryl (with son Justin) and Christine, and her “grand dogs” Elvis and Daisy.

Carol was born in Burbank, California to Elmas and Warren Kamm (both deceased). She was the middle of 5 children, Warren, Marilyn, Mark, and William (deceased). She graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s degree in education from CSU San Marcos. Prior to retirement she was a celebrated and accomplished teacher and reading specialist at Rose Elementary – a true calling where she cared for and was loved by her students earning recognition as “Teacher of the Year.”

Despite cancer, she lived life to the fullest. In five years living with metastatic disease she packed in more happiness and adventure than most traveling to every National Park within the continental U.S. (most via R.V.), hiking in the Swiss Alps, enjoying Broadway musicals, travel to American historic sites with grandchildren, camping trips, attending Danny’s concerts across North America, celebrating her sons’ weddings in special ways, including baking a 3-tier carrot cake and singing “Get Me To the Church on Time,” Irish coffee and Chinese food in San Francisco, Disneyland, holidays in Boston and Vermont, lobster rolls in Maine, cookie parties, spa trips, ice cream sundaes, and collected beaucoup frequent flier miles going to every birthday party, sporting, and school events for her bi-coastal grandchildren.

She felt most at peace in nature, took charge of travel plans, enjoyed riding her bicycle, zip-lining, hiking, cooking, gardening, baking cookies, watching romantic comedies and musicals, loved the color pink and despite her adventurous spirit, she excelled at worrying about situations that might lead to an untimely death (like alligators in the Everglades or Moose trampling) and strictly adhered to expiration dates on food labels. With the ones she loved, she always gave her unvarnished and unsolicited opinion, spoke her truth, and advocated tirelessly for the things in life she thought were most important.

Carol will be remembered by those who love her whenever taking a bite of See’s Candy California brittle, when listening to the Sound of Music, when cuddling around a warm fire, and when the sun shines brightly first thing in the morning.

A celebration of life will take place in April in Escondido, California followed by her final return to nature amongst evergreens in Vermont in June. For more information, please email quixoticdoc@gmail.com. Donations are suggested for metastatic breast cancer research at www.metavivor.org.

Send to someone

Share this obituary with others

https://everloved.com/life-of/carol-cervantes/obituary/

Copy