Carol Darling

1929 - 2021

Carol Marie (Gardiner) Darling
December 16, 1929 - January 30, 2021

Carol Marie(Gardiner) Darling was born in Los Angeles on December 16, 1929. She passed away peacefully in the care of Pacifica Memory Care and Hoffman Hospice on January 30, 2021. On December 16, 2020 she celebrated her 91st birthday.

Although, Mom was born in Los Angeles she was raised in Alhambra. The Gardiner family lived there until 1946. She was attending Alhambra High when her family moved to the Frazier Park area where she was enrolled in Bakersfield High School. She graduated high school in 1947 and went on to Bakersfield College & graduated with a AA degree in 1949.

Mom met our Dad, Raymond Darling at a dance in Gorman sometime in 1949 and they married June 17, 1950. They were married for 67 years when our dad passed December 5, 2017. She is survived by her daughter Laura Darling & son Larry Darling and her grandchildren & great grandchildren: John Darling (Anneliese, Wes, Rylie & Cy), Stephanie Darling (Chris Kaufman). It is rumored that the Darling-Kaufman's are expecting a new great grandchild.

Mom was active in the Frazier Park community. She joined the PTA and worked with the Brownies & Girl Scouts when I was a member. Later on she became interested in Dad's family history and worked with Bonnie Kane at the Ridge Route Museum. In a letter of condolence Bonnie stated "Carol, a great woman of our local history".

Cousin Lee Ellis wrote "your mom was a wonderful person...always with a positive attitude and humor was her close friend". For years Mom played Canasta with a close knit group of friends. Through out her life she had many long lasting friendships. Even with some of the disabilities she suffered after her strokes she laughed a lot at herself and with others.

Our mom was artistically inclined. She always seemed to be enlisted in some type of art or craft class. Even today many of those pieces are scattered around our homes. Mom was also a terrific seamstress. Growing up I didn't have store bought things. She made my clothes. And then with the help of granny Julia she got into quilting. Lovely!

At forty two years of age she suffered from strokes and was close to dying. It didn't keep her down... she reveled and went on to take computer courses & learned how to use a digital camera amongst many other things.

Our mom...she was a wonder!

Outdoor services will be held at Greenlawn Mortuary, 2739 Panama Lane, Bakersfield (661)834-8820. Wednesday February 17, 2021 at 2:00 p.m..