Tribute

It is with deep love and breaking hearts that we announce the passing of our beautiful, irreplaceable mother Carol.  She is survived by her husband Kevin Sanderson, brother Gary Jones, sons Chris Gossen (Veronica), Mike Gossen (Kathrine), Darren Harder (Jennifer) and daughter Laura Harder-Niebuhr (Tom), grandchildren Tonya, Natasha (Rico), Serena (Drew), Jared (Shannon), Claire, Bryce, Erik (Isabella), Emily, Zoe, Vance, and ten great grandchildren. She was predeceased by her son Kevin who died as an infant, her first two husbands and her sister-in-law Diane.

Carol was born in Ottawa, Ontario during WW2 to Arnold and Agnes (Calderhead) Jones. After bouncing around army bases for 3 years they returned to Windsor, Ontario where she lived until 1954 when the family moved to Vancouver.  She attended John Oliver high school before leaving early to work at an insurance firm.

At 18, she met the first love of her life, Len Gossen, and they were married in 1961; she always wanted a big family and together they had 5 children. By 1970 Carol and Len had moved to Campbell River, but the marriage ended. She was left with 4 young children and an insecure future, but she rallied and kept her family together. In 1972 she opened a new chapter in her life marrying Mike Harder who embraced her children as his own.  The next 15 years were busy.  Hours were spent cheering from the bleachers at the hockey rink, camping in Long Beach and Woss Lake, and one very long stressful drive to Disney Land when money was tight and sandwiches were eaten in the parking lot.

Mom ran her own business, Caran Computing, where she tallied log scaling production.  She loved playing bridge with her friends once a week. She was a good and loyal friend, and a second mom to many of her friends’ kids. When the grandchildren started arriving, Carol was thrilled – more family to love! She was very creative and artistic, making beautiful quilts, sweaters, toques, trying her hand at painting and stained glass, and crafting in general.

By 1990 Carol and Mike were living in Victoria when Mike passed suddenly from kidney cancer in 2009. It was very difficult for her, alone at 67, with all their retirement plans unfulfilled, but she rallied. When Carol met and married Kevin Sanderson in 2012, she opened a third chapter in her life. Together they traveled, danced and generally spoiled each other. They moved to Langley in 2017 and when she was diagnosed with, and overcame, lymphoma Kevin was her rock of support.

Carol slipped away from us in the early hours of July 10, family by her side, after fighting with all her might to recover from a protracted illness. It was devastating to let her go, but we are encouraged to know that she is reunited with her son, Kevin and that one day we will be together again.

Mom loved us, her children, fiercely. She was always in our corner, fighting for us.  Thank you, Mom, you can take it easy now. Your love for us is so strong, it will never leave us and it will help carry us to the end of our days.

A celebration of life will be held in Bowser on Vancouver Island, August 16 th at 1:30pm.
Please contact family for more information.