About Carole
In Loving Memory of Carole McGuinness
“Her Family and People were her passion.”
Carole McGuinness was more than a mother, a Sister, a Wife, a daughter, a friend, she was a pillar of grace, the quiet strength behind countless lives she touched.
She was THE best mum we could have ever asked for.
But also the best friend anyone could ask for.
She would always be there for you, she loved her friends like family, and she loved to catch up with all of her friends no matter how far or how long it's been she would pick up the phone or get in the car and drive across the country just to say hello!
She had unshakable faith and positivty.
Ever the optimist and infinite kindness and generosity,
Carole lived not for possessions or praise, but for people.
If you met her only once, you would remember her.
And if she met you, she would never forgot you.
Her compassion was paired with fairness, and her kindness never wavered. Her employees loved her. Her Family and friends adored her. Even her school friends stayed in touch with her decades later.
She was a brilliant mother, raising strong sons and setting an example of how to love unconditionally.
We are celebrating Carole.
We do not have to refer to her in the past sense that Carole was an amazing person, Carole IS an amazing person because she STILL exists.
She has left her body, but her soul is with us for eternity.
Let's not be selfish, we will miss her in this physical world temporarily, but we will be with her for eternity.
Life is nothing but the blink of an eye.
We should be excited for her and we should be grateful we ever were gifted her by god in the first place!
CAROLE'S EULOGY BY HER SISTER SUZANNE
Compassionate and Professional Funeral Services by Carole McGuinness
Carole was one of four sisters.
Barbara who sadly died aged 26. Maureen known as Mo, Carole and myself Suzanne.
Carole has been there for me my whole life. She liked to tell me that she remembers waiting for me to be brought home from the hospital in the snow - and also how annoyed she was that she hadn’t been allowed in to visit me and Mum on Christmas Day to show off her new Tressie doll.
As a little girl I remember being very scared when the fire alarm at StVincent’s school behind our house went off. I used to run to Carole and literally climb up her legs so she would hug me. She found this very amusing but I felt safe when I was with her.
She and her friend Gillian used to play hopscotch in the street and would always let me join in even though I was little and hopeless.She had quite a few jobs as a teenager including a paper round (which Mo remembers doing for her quite often) and a job in the florist in Formby. I used to like going to see her among all the flowers .
As she grew up she still took me around with her, even on dates and camping trips with her boyfriend at the time . I’m not sure if she was being helpful to Mum & Dad or using me as a chaperone! I was and still am a big fan of racing, and especially of Red Rum who was my equine hero. In 1979 the Liverpool Echo ran a deal where you could get train tickets and entry to the course for quite a cheap price.
Carole decided she would take me to the National as my hero Rummy was parading before the race. We were supposed to be standing by the first fence but missed the entrance, walked all the way to the Canal Turn and were let into the course by some camera guys who took pity on us. We then walked all the way back to the stands, ducked under the rails and ended up standing right opposite the winning post!
We had a great view of Red Rum leading the parade and Rubstic winning the race and no one asked us to move! Carole was always lucky.
When she applied to Birmingham University she chose Ancient History, Archeology and African Studies which mystified us all. At one point before her uni interview she was in Oxford for some reason and desperately needed the toilet so she dived into the Ashmoleon Museum and raced past a display of some Etruscan plates. In her interview the lecturer asked her what was her favourite museum. Carole (who hadn’t really spent much time hanging out in museums) racked her brain and the said she really liked the Etruscan plates in the Ashmolean and the lecturer exclaimed that that was his favourite too! She got on the course…
The first time I ever went away from home was to visit her at University in Birmingham. I was thirteen and was put on the train by Dad with strict instructions that I should stay on the platform at the other end where Carole would meet me. Of course she was late but came running down the platform waving madly. I had a great time, staying in her student house in Moseley, listening to Fleetwood Mac in the dark before going to sleep, and meeting her friends such as Lindsey & Ted who are here today.
When it was my turn to go to University in Hull, Carole was working for the Royal Insurance and had a company car, a blue Astra which she was very proud of. She of course piled all my stuff into the back of it and drove me there, then we struggled up the stairs with my trunk. When I graduated there was high unemployment and I eventually had to take a job in Birmingham. Yet again, Carole came to the rescue and arranged for me to stay with Lindsey and Ted until I could find a place to live. If anyone ever needed a problem solving Carole was the go-to person.
Carole loved her job at The Royal and made many friends there. She moved on through many incarnations in work- in banking for Barclays, with law firm Silverbeck Rhymer, as a freelance consultant and with her online jewellery outlet Fantastic Animals which she set up when in between contracts.
She was always hard-working and resourceful and her current team at Diligenta valued her experience and wisdom. She could fit seamlessly into any team, indeed into any environment. I used to joke that if I dropped her out of an aeroplane into the Arabian desert I could come back six months later and she would be speaking fluent Arabic and riding a camel.
When her boys Daniel and Ian came along, Carole would bring them to see our Mum & Dad every weekend, then as they got older she drove them all over the place to play at Pokémon or in Halo tournaments. Later Daniel decided he wanted to go to America and she raised the money to send him there, even though it must have been heart wrenching to let him go.
She was a wonderful Mum, and a fabulous Aunty to her nephews, Anthony, Matt, and Ben, niece Laura and all their children.
Mo and I have so many wonderful memories of our times with Carole - going shopping on a Saturday afternoon, hunting for bargains in charity shops, going on days out or enjoying birthday meals.
One of the strangest ones was during Covid when we met up with Carole in Marine Gardens for her birthday. I had made some little sandwiches and we brought little bottles of Prosecco. We sat on a bench and she opened her presents while it was literally snowing! We ate our sandwiches and toasted with the Prosecco, then when we were leaving the park we realised there was a big notice prohibiting the drinking of alcohol in the park! It made us giggle at the thought of her illegal birthday party.
Looking through my photographs I see endless pictures of Carole and Mo and I going to the races, going to the Lake District, going to Southport Flower show, visiting open gardens. I’m really glad that I had a party for my Sixtieth. It was great to be on the dance floor with her. She really was a wonderful person to be with, always positive, always enjoying being out and about. If there was music coming from a bar she’d want to go and investigate.
In recent years she has so enjoyed going over to visit Ian and Dan in America, especially since the arrival of Penelope. She was so looking forward to seeing them all again at Easter.
She often said she felt her sixties were the best time of her life. It’s good to think she was so happy with her life and the people she loved.
We will all miss her so much.
My beautiful, lively, lovely sister.
Suzanne Dacey
Messages for Carole
Leidy Silva
We miss Carole so much. We’re so grateful to have met her, loved her, and been loved by her in return. I will always remember how she gave the best advice and had a positive outlook on every situation. Her kindness, warmth, and gentle wisdom touched everyone around her. She made our lives brighter, and her memory will always live on in our hearts. Leidy
Terence Connell
Carole was such a loyal and constant friend to our family and particularly to my mother Mary. Even after Carole left from next door she always kept in touch with mum and regularly visited. Condolences from Terence , Cathy and Anthony Connell.