Carol Hanson

Carol Anne (Foley) Hanson, age 80, passed away peacefully on February 11, 2026, at her home in Camarillo, CA. Until the very end Carol maintained her compassion, grace, sharp mind and infectious sense of humor. She had a deep love of family and friends that was reciprocated throughout her fulfilling life.

Carol was born on April 28th, 1945, in Cleveland, Ohio to Jane Friedel and John Foley, and was the 2nd born of their four children. When Carol’s father unceremoniously bailed on the family when she was 3 years old, the children were raised by their mother with help from Carol’s grandparents, Elizabeth and Robert Friedel. She was raised in a Catholic household and graduated from St. Joseph Academy, like her mother, aunt and sisters, where a weekly slap with a yardstick was the norm. Undoubtedly this gave her the discipline to tolerate the physical challenges her body endured in her later years.

Carol’s adventurous spirit took her to sunny Southern California when she was 18 years old. What was meant to be an extended visit turned out to be a permanent life change. The closeness she shared with her mother and siblings led them to follow her path west, one by one. Carol met her first husband, John Muirhead, and made a home in Santa Monica where they started a family and had their children, Michael and Laura.

Carol was always open to adventure. She reminisced of numerous excursions she took throughout her life including a trip with her brother James in which they toured Ireland and England, tracing their roots and experiencing the beautiful towns and countryside along the way. Another one of her fond memories was a cross-country trip with her son, Michael, where they camped and hiked in the Rockies and southeastern Utah, cooking gourmet meals by the campfire.

But Carol’s ultimate adventure came when she married the love of her life, Lynn Hanson, in 1990. That’s when Lynn and “Tootsie” embarked on an expedition of a lifetime, traveling the United States where Lynn played his music and entertained crowds all over the Midwest, with Carol often singing with Lynn as a duo. They absolutely loved life on the road and made countless friends and maintained many friendships along the way.

1990 was a very special year for Carol. In addition to marrying Lynn, her granddaughter Stephanie was born in December. She absolutely fawned over Stephanie and she felt very fortunate to have the opportunity to be an integral part of her life.

Carol welcomed Jenny Boggio into the family in 2003 when she married her son Michael at a ceremony in Coeur d’ Alene Idaho, in which the entire family attended. Carol’s second granddaughter, Madeline was born in 2009, and they were able to share in their love of music with Lynn who would teach and jam with Madeline on guitar many an evening.

Carol would light up every room she entered and wherever she went she would make fast friends with everyone she met. She loved to crochet and many couches belonging to extended family had an afghan draped over the back thanks to her talents.

Carol also loved playing blackjack and would often have her children bring their piggybanks to the “blackjack table” in her dining room where she would teach them a lesson in humility.

During her career she wore many hats; realtor, stockbroker, restaurant manager, manager of storage facilities and owner of a pool league.

To reemphasize Carol’s love of family, she and Lynn resided in Shaver Lake, CA to help with the care of her mother and to be near her siblings; Seattle, WA near Laura and Stephanie; Red Lodge, MT near Michael, Jenny and Madeline; and Camarillo near her brother James, and her two sisters Joanne and Laraine who were able to visit more often in her later years.

She is survived by her loving and devoted husband Lynn; her children, Michael (Jenny) Muirhead and Laura (Yvette) Muirhead; grandchildren, Stephanie and Madeline Muirhead; sisters, Laraine (Charlie) Martin, Joanne (Greg) Elliott; and brother, James Foley.

A celebration of life will be held at Springville Seniors Apartments, 551 Camino Tierra Santa, Camarillo, CA 93010, on Saturday, March 28th between 1pm and 5pm. Come and go as you please and share a story. Lunch will be provided.