Carol Crooker

Crooker, Carol Rae

CROOKER, Carol Rae, age 90 of Dayton, passed away Tuesday, May 7,2024 at Hospice of Dayton. She was preceded in death by a brother, Donald Crooker, and a sister, Marion Penttila. She is survived by a sister, Margaret "Joan" Hardy, as well as two nephews; Donald (Kimberly) Hardy, and Mark (Peggy) Penttila. She is also survived by two nieces: Janet Mehnert and Jane (Ken Murach) Penttila and by her great nieces and nephews: Evan Hardy and Graham Hardy, Jim Penttila, Jenny Penttila and Jarrod Penttila. Carol was a fashion model in her youth and worked for Engel-Fetzer Department Store. She also worked for the American Bankers Association in Washington, DC and the National Credit Union Association, from where she retired. In retirement she travelled extensively and loved to give of her time, volunteering as a safe senior driving instructor for AARP and in the Miami Valley Hospital Gift Shop; she was also a prodigious donator to charity. She was a talented seamstress and loved cats, especially her Charlie. She loved spending time with her family, especially her great nieces and nephews. "Auntie Rae" was a joy to be around, and wonderful to have as family or friend. Always elegantly dressed, she had a beautiful smile that was truly arresting, a smile as charming and easy as it was genuine. Rae had a ready interest in others and others lives, and was quick to appreciate the uniqueness of every person she met. She was extremely generous in many ways; she also had enough quirks to always keep things interesting. For these reasons and many more, Rae will be sorely missed, for sure, but affectionately remembered.