Carol Forester McSweeney

McSweeney, Carol Forester

Carol Forester McSweeney, 94, Daughter of the late Berton Schell Forester and Carrie Mann Forester. Carol was married to her husband of 69 years, Edward P. McSweeney who predeceased her. Carol leaves her 3 children, Ed (Carol-deceased), Jon, and Mark (Dianne). Carol also leaves 7 grandchildren she loved dearly: Nicki (Cory), Kelley (Todd), Tim (Jill), Lisa (Danny), Dylan, Keegan (Nich), and Connor, plus 11 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister Gloria Gruer and she also leaves numerous nieces and nephews. Carol grew up in Webster Groves, MO and attended Webster Groves High School, graduating in 1948, where she was a cheerleader and chosen as the senior student with the best "pearly whites."

She attended Washington University, where she was also a cheerleader, and met her husband, Ed. It was there she began a lifelong involvement with Delta Gamma sorority, in whose charities she was deeply involved for her whole life. She and Ed eloped to San Francisco in 1952 and lived in California for two years before they moved back to St. Louis to have their first child and Ed began to practice law. They soon settled in Kirkwood, where they raised their children and lived for the next 60 years. While there, they kept company with many generations of Airedale dogs and helped son Jon with his pet Guinea Pigs.

Carol's life was best known as one of service to many charitable organizations, especially to Delta Gamma's devotion to helping the blind. She was also a key volunteer and board member for many years at Talking Tapes for the Blind. Having a blind middle son, Jon, Carol was especially dedicated to serving these organizations, and when she finally stepped away from full-time charitable involvement, she was honored with the United Way Volunteer of the Year for 1988. She always put herself last and was most concerned with making sure the needs of others were met. She often hosted large family holiday gatherings, with her last one entertaining 25 relatives at Christmas in 2015, when she was almost 85. She loved to host neighborhood cookie exchanges where she was known for her delicious Santa Claus cookies (unless you were not a fan of the coconut beards!).

Another thing that marked Carol's life was a love of travel and adventure. She went skydiving in 2006 to celebrate her 75th birthday. She went on many world travels and visited Peru to see Machu Picchu, Northern Canada to see polar bears, Egypt to see the Pyramids, Africa, Australia and New Zealand, and many countries in Europe. Carol loved to spend days at her beautiful lake house that she had built in St. James, MO. There are so many fond memories from everyone who spent time there. She also loved to take her grandchildren, along with her sister Glo and her grandchildren, on summer trips to Trout Lodge, Colorado, and Legoland. Her grandchildren all have special memories of these adventures with their Grammy. In her last years she became known as the "turtle lady" where she lived at Aberdeen Heights in Kirkwood, taking care of the many box turtles that somehow found their way into one of the Aberdeen courtyards and flourished.

Carol led a full life, one that other people can only dream of having. She will be dearly missed by all who knew her.

There will be no visitation or services. A private celebration of her life will be held in the future. www.boppchapel.com