Carol Staninger

Carol D. Staninger, 90, peacefully departed this life, on January 12, 2025. Born in Rochester, New York in 1935, to Robert and Elaine Despard, she moved to Winter Haven when she was 10 years old. She attended Winter Haven High School where she met Charles A. Staninger, Jr. They wed in 1954 at St. Paul's Episcopal Church. She and Charles raised two children, Richard Eric and Andrea Marcille.
Carol was the Administrative Secretary for the Pathology Department of Winter Haven Hospital for 40 years, assisting with many computer modernizations. During that time, she also grew professionally, joining Professional Secretaries International, where she was elected President of the Florida Division in 1983. She attended Polk Community College earning an Associate Degree.
She and Charles, along with her parents who owned Despard Construction, built a beach cottage on Little Gasparilla Island in 1960. It was one of the first cottages on the island, still standing today, surviving multiple hurricanes. The cottage and the pleasures the island provides has been enjoyed by five generations of her family with many cherished lifetime memories.
Carol and Charles were avid animal lovers, and Carol especially loved cats. Over the years, she had many cats herself. She also cared for her outdoor cats who had no permanent home, feeding them twice daily, taking them to the vet as needed, and providing loving companionship. She also loved gardening, orchids, travel, her home and family.
Carol was curious and interested in technology. Over the years, she self-educated and was an early adopter of new technologies. In 2017, tragic Hot Car Deaths became especially troubling to her, and she sought a way to prevent them. She thought that if a device could detect breathing in a parked vehicle, it could sound an alarm to alert the driver or others of the occupant. At 82 years old, she enlisted the help of CMS WorldGroup of Clearwater, Florida, to develop such a device and they embarked on a remarkable journey. They named the device SOLO (Save Our Loved Ones). The device was presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2018, where Carol was highlighted during the Keynote Speaker's opening presentation. During the four-day show, she was interviewed by more than 80 international media reporters. A year later, Carol had patented and licensed SOLO to a major Tier One automotive supplier for inclusion in cars and other transport vehicles. Her dream had become a reality.
Carol was predeceased by her husband Charles in 2012. She is survived by her two children, Eric Staninger and Andrea Moen (Steve). Three grandchildren, Tessa Rigdon (Zac), Elaine Moen (Alexi Schlesinger), Alex Moen (Kayla), and five great-grandchildren Emelia Rigdon, Vivian Rigdon, Thea Alexakis, Greyson Moen, Zaeli Moen. Survived by sister-in-law MaryAnn Boyd (George) and brother in-law Gerald Staninger.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Humane Society of Polk County, 3195 Dundee Rd. Winter Haven, FL 33884