CAROLE HARRISON
was born in Chicago. This we know. We also know that she was soon adopted by a kind, gentle woman and her husband. They also adopted a son, Ron, and gave both children the last name Hoffman. They lived in sunny southern California—idyllic Baby Boomer days spent jumping in the pool, carefree packs of children playing suburban games of tag and hopscotch, taking the bus to downtown
Los Angeles to go window shopping. That was childhood.
But when Carole was still a girl, their mother passed, and the children had to change schools. Carole Hoffman was seated, alphabetically, next to George Harrison, her future husband.
Family was everything to Carole. She learned how important it was to have strong, loving women in your life, including her adopted mother Marjorie and her Aunt Hallie, who took Ron and Carole on an extended sightseeing trip Carole would remember vividly the rest of her life. These caring women left an indelible mark on young Carole and shaped her into the woman she would become.
After high school, Carole opted for rigorous training as a nurse at USC Medical School. Her specialty? Obstetrics. For the rest of her career, as a Registered Nurse, Carole would be present for the beginning of countless families. She was there to make sure everything was perfect when parents met their child for the first time.
Family was the reason behind Carole and George relocating to the south, eventually settling in Batesville, Ark. They wanted a quiet, peaceful place to raise their three children: a boy, a girl, and another surprise boy. Carole knew the essentials her children must have for a happy childhood: a stable home, trips to the library and community pool, a piano, a small dog. After her children were launched into school full-time, Carole returned to college to complete her Bachelor’s degree. She understood the vital importance of being a role model for her children. She instilled in them a deep love for learning, and a belief that God had a plan for your life, even if you couldn’t see it yourself.
Carole’s faith was simple, joyous, and deep. She rejoiced in the days when her family (which came to include three beloved grandchildren) reunited and filled a pew in their church. She would also share, if you were willing to listen, her special knowledge of the life that was to come.
When she was still a young mother, Carole had a terrifying brush with death—an episode of anaphylactic shock—and she experienced something she could only say was a glimpse of the afterlife. It left her profoundly moved, and filled with a sense of peace. She knew, with complete certainty, that there was more. So, at the age of 82, as she left her loving family to join her husband George, she did so with no fear.
Visitation will be held at First United Methodist Church in Maumelle on Monday, March 4 at 10 a.m., with a service to follow at 11 a.m. Burial will be at Oaklawn Cemetery in Batesville, Ark., at 2 p.m.
Services entrusted to Smith North Little Rock Funeral Home, 1921 Main St., North Little Rock, Ark. 72114. Sign the guestbook at www.smithfamilycares.com.