Carole and I became friends who just love to talk about life, family, travel and anything else on our minds. Over the years we would just "catch up" every now and then. What is unusual about our relationship is that we never met each other in person but found a friend to confide in and love. 

She will be missed.

I have known Carole since she was a young child. Both she and her Dear late Mom, Frances are my Delta Sigma Theta Sorors.

I am so proud of her accomplishments! My love, prayers, and support go out to her family.

Family continue to cherish her ‘memory’

Remember- GOD and TIME will ease the pain.

Most Sincerely,

Nora Martin PhD

Carole Watson was the greatest mentor I've ever had, and I channel her fierce, loving Leo guidance in my work and as a mother. She hired me as a young nonprofit professional to become the Program Officer of Self-Sufficiency at United Way of the Bay Area then promoted me to VP and taught me so much-- the greatest supervisor and mentor one could ever hope for! Carole had a way of explaining complex systems of oppression with empathy, clarity, knowledge, and historical context. And she had the deep relationships and vision to create the community change that so many others just theorized about. Carole not only had the vision but she was one of those rare people who actually implemented her vision with humility and shared credit. She brought all of us along for the ride to true collective community impact! She kept vast amounts of information in her mind, but would always be willing to share her knowledge plus a funny anecdote that had us both laughing and which helped me remember all those details. Carole drove me all over the 7-county region in her silver Volvo, wearing fabulous one-of-a-kind outfits with beautiful patterns with her hair/make-up/nails always perfect. She  would awake at 4am and crank out multi-page documents for me to utilize for our next meeting, convening or complex work plan. Frankly, it was hard to keep up and I was 20 years younger! But with her gentle and loving guidance I did feel like I rose to the occasion and I continue to utilize what she taught me in my current role (Director of Strategic Partnerships/Fundraising at Portland Public Schools, Oregon).

The story that stands out in my mind was after a series of three meetings with the Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, Mayor Jerry Brown's staff, and IRS/Volunteer Income Tax Unit team, Carole said to me, "Well, if we ever want something to happen with this, we're going to have to lead this effort!" And so we did and it was a wild ride! She orchestrated having the great Congresswoman Barbara Lee hand me a certificate of gratitude for our launch of Earn It! Keep It! Save It! That was Carole, she always shared credit and led by example. I loved working in the Oakland office with her, and when we had to downsize to a smaller office, she gave me the corner office, saying she's never there anyway and I deserved the view.

Carole also supported me to keep working after becoming a mother by encouraging me to work from home 10-20 hours a week-- before remote work was a thing. Carole told me endless stories about Dionne and Teja and her own mother and the special relationship they all shared as 4 generations of matriarchs. She deeply loved her family and friends and somehow made time for everyone she loved.

Carole Watson was and will always be the G.O.A.T. I love you, Carole, and carry you in my heart always!

6.21.25

Dionne,

My heart goes out to you, and to Teja, each day.

I want you to know that (like Anne, Lovell, Russ, and I am certain scores of others far and wide who were blessed in knowing and working with your Mom) if there is anything I can do to help you with the celebration of your Mom’s life, or in any other way be of support to you and your family you have only to ask.

I also want to say something to you personally about what she meant to me – especially since we retired within a year of each other. I am not always good at posting public things like Facebook but I wanted to share this with you.

You know that I was her colleague; and probably that we enjoyed a very friendly personal and professional relationship at the United Way - over several decades actually. But the truth is we were really much too busy doing our jobs to get to know each other as well and as significantly as we did once we both retired and started work on the UWBA Retirees and Alumni Association. Before that, well, being at the United Way means you spend all your time and energy doing the work. I am sure you know how that goes.

But during those working years, one thing I did know was the universal respect – both inside our building and beyond - for the leadership role she enjoyed in the work of the UWBA and of her commitment to making the Bay Area a better place for everyone. When Carole called people answered. When she left you a message you responded. When her name was on a meeting notice attendance was full.

Once we both retired, I experienced all of that first hand. Getting to know her, do good things with her and be in her presence in my retirement was, next to the joy of seeing my grandkids all the time, one of the best things that happened to me.

We had lunches together and breakfasts at that place, the Butter Cup, down on lower Broadway; we kept up with each other and our families, the state of the world and the fortunes and happenings at United Way – Bay Area and Nationally. I marveled at her trips to Detroit to enjoy seeing and taking care of business with your Grandmother. We showed up together at a bunch of United Way Pot Lucks. But most of all, I got to see how thoughtful, caring, dedicated and focused she was in reaching out to our colleagues who had retired or gone on to other endeavors.

She had the vision, the contacts and the leadership touch that lead to a very unexpected and unusual number of gatherings, events, dinners and personal contacts. We wee one of very few local United Way Retiree groups in the country that actually worked, had a busy Facebook site and an active, updated membership list. Especially when one considers we had no staff other than our inspired and energized selves and members to do all that was required.

Russ, Lovell, David Carrillo, Julie Whyte, Kathleen Deamer, Charmaine Fiumos, Cathy Witkay and many others, including our amazing Retirement Actuarial Volunteer Consultant, Paul Zeisler and of course with Anne’s support and energy, we followed her lead. Because of her, things happened. People stayed together. Connections flourished that otherwise never would have remained intact. Given the centrifugal force of not being at our place of work each day; and not being in the world of work is a very isolating thing. Some people found old friends, colleagues renewed, valued relationships saw new chapters written among folks who most likely would never have seen each other again.

So lots of us came together and had fun. We ate well, created events (Dinner watching the Warriors), laughed over stories about a shared past or recounted the latest of our present. We also stayed in touch with our colleagues still at the United Way and were even joined by our friends still on staff. Some of us went to the famous UWBA Staff Pot Lucks.

We even had a very hardworking Defined Benefit Pension committee of retirees that lobbied for better communication with staff and actually helped the organization figure out how to make sure the retirement plan got the attention and the 100% funding upon which so many of our later years depended. A tremendous victory and all because of Carole’s vision, action and collaborative leadership built the organizational capacity to help make something so significant occur.

I knew she had to slow down and I know how much time and energy she put into her Mom and your family and, as she put it, during the coming of the “World’s Greatest Great Grandchild.” And I was so very happy when you all figured out how to spend your time in such a unique and special way in Arizona.

Somehow in my “everyday” mind, I thought her work, her dedication, her energy and that voice on the phone, “Hello Ed, I was thinking” was something I would hear forever; just as I imagine the scores and scores of people she knew are thinking today that Carole and her energy, her optimism and her force for good would be at work always.

A world without Carole in it – making those calls, encouraging everyone, building connections, coming up with ideas and making sure things got done - is not imaginable. There should always be Carole sharing her energy, enthusiasm and 100% commitment to doing everything that needed to be done and getting it done in the very best way it could be done. And being loving and kind in every way to every one of us. She was a very good friend and, as Anne and others have said, she will live on in my heart and in the hearts of her friends and colleagues forever.

Perhaps a last couple of thoughts on how all this feels I hope might be helpful.

As you move through all the pain and the days go by, I fear that grief stays with us somehow. It fades and then reappears even as the spaces between its presence do lengthen. And there is no particular formula to search for or hang on to in spite of everyone’s advice.

But as one well into those higher numbered years, loss and its feelings of grief become more frequent visitors.

Jenifer and I lost a friend of some 60 years duration this year. We were close friends from when our children were in nursery school. Someone at her service shared this:

“Grief,

I have learned, is really just love.

It’s the love you want to give, but cannot.

All that unspent love gathers up in the corners of your eye,

the lump in your throat and in the hollow part of your chest.

Grief is love with no place to go.”

With lots of love, Dionne,

Ed

If Life is measured by the way we live- the way we serve, the way we give…

If life is measured by the words we say- the love expressed along the way…

If life is measured by the smiles we share- the kindness, the way we care….

Then your Life’s measure- is clearly known, for these are all the things Carole has shown to me. Thanking God for the Blessing of you in my life.

It’s special people like Carole that we meet along life’s road who help us Appreciate the Journey. Through many of Life’s seasons, Carole was a part of some very special memories. Her warm and understanding ways meant so much to me.

Rest in Peace my Dear Sister/Friend

Cheryl