Carole Jean Romero
October 31, 1940 - January 3, 2014

On October 31, 1940, Carole Jean Romero was born to Clifton and Erva Knable in Valley City, North Dakota. She took after her dad with her fiery red hair and spunky attitude. She moved to Washington in the 1940s with her parents and her younger brother, Bruce. For a short time, during WWII, they lived with her grandma and grandpa Fahey in Tacoma while her dad served in the armed forces.

After the war, Carole's parents purchased a home in Vancouver, Washington. She always referred to this place as home. She graduated with the class of 1958 from Hudson Bay High School. The summer following her graduation, Carole set out for California to pursue her interest in radiology. This is where she met and married Carlos Romero. Boeing brought them to Bellevue, Washington, in the late 1960s. Together they had two children, Mark and Melinda.
Carole was fond of her family including her five grandsons. She supported them and cheered them on in their sports and theatrical performances. She enjoyed going out to dinner with all, and around the holidays, didn't hesitate to play a loud game of Royal Rummy.

Carole enjoyed many pastimes. One of her hobbies was holiday decorating. Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas were garnished with finesse and flourish, and her home decorating reflected her love of God and country. Carole was an avid reader and had accumulated a small library of books. She also delighted in collecting antiques and worked for a small antique shop in town for a period of time.
Carole also enjoyed traveling with family and friends. From coast to coast she visited many historical sites, setting foot in most of our 50 states. She also travelled abroad and had the opportunity to visit Israel, Ireland, Russia, Hong Kong, and Australia, just to name a few. While in Indonesia, she and Melinda ventured down into an active volcano, steam and lava spewing from the crevasses.

After a divorce at age 53, Carole returned to school and obtained her Medical Coding Certificate. She landed a job at a local Issaquah company, HSI, where she worked many years.

In 2013, Carole experienced a couple of strokes, and with a list of other ailments, her health declined. She breathed her last on January 3, 2014, and she is now resting with Jesus. She is survived by her brother Bruce Knable and his wife Grace; her son Mark Romero and his wife Kathy; her daughter Melinda Haynes; and five grandsons, Brandon, Troy, Trevor, Shawn, and Skylar.
Her fiery spirit and determination will be missed.