Carole Hrastar

Hrastar (O'Brien), Carole Ann

Carole Ann (O'Brien) Hrastar, 77, of Springboro, Ohio, passed away peacefully in hospice, accompanied by loved ones, late in the evening of November 6, 2023, after a months long battle with cancer.

She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on February 21, 1946, the daughter of the late John H. and Edna C. (Burke) O'Brien. John was a big band jazz drummer/vocalist, turned pharmacist and WWII Navy veteran and Edna was a homemaker, doting mother and friend to all.

Carole met her husband Tim while attending the University of Dayton and were engaged shortly before their May 1968 graduation, both with Communication Arts degrees. They were married in Pittsburgh on December 28, 1968 on an unseasonably warm day.

They raised their family in Englewood, Ohio in the 70s, 80s and 90s and down-sized to Springboro, Ohio in 2005.

Among diverse professional and volunteer pursuits, Carole was an advertising copywriter at many agencies over the years. She was an avid reader, loved the simple pleasure of dinner and a movie with her husband, and anticipated and treasured family vacations, including trips that brought her to each of the 50 states. She was kind, thoughtful and generous of spirit, had a sly sense of humor, was a shark at Scrabble and Trivial Pursuit, baked an amazing apple pie and, most of all, loved her husband and boys fiercely. She created wonderful family time for everyone.

Carole is survived by her husband of almost 55 years, Timothy W. Hrastar; their two sons, Kevin M. (Erin) Hrastar of Sarasota, Florida and Brian J. (Nora Carney) Hrastar of Chicago, Illinois; her brother John W. (Debby) O'Brien of Murrysville, Pennsylvania; and her beloved cousin Nancy Obermeier (aka the "Queen of Pittsburgh") of Newcastle, Pennsylvania; brother/sister-in-law John and Fran Hrastar of Silver Spring, Maryland; sister-in-law Mary (and the late Gerry) Hrastar of Fort Valley, Virginia; many cousins, nephews, nieces, and dear life-long and new friends, in particular Patricia Joseph, Donna Hull, Mary Riordan, Linda Fischbach and Fran O'Connor, among many others.

Carole had an incredible heart-she was a wife, mother and friend who loved deeply and was loved deeply in return. She will be dearly missed.

Memorial/Celebration of Life service to be held at a to be determined date in the Dayton area.

The family requests that any contributions in Carole's name be made to St. Vincent de Paul of Dayton, Ohio: https://stvincentdayton.org/how-to-donate/memorial/