Carol Ann Hance
Carol passed away suddenly in the early hours of December 27, 2020, due to a cardiac arrest according to the ER Doctor.
Carol was born July 18, 1935 to Ralph J. Shideler (19001970) and Ruth V. (Luginbill) Shideler (1902-1998) as their only child and grew up in Girard, Kansas, where her father published the Girard Press newspaper for many years. She is survived by spouse Vern Hance and children, Rebecca Hance of San Ramon, California, Bradley Hance, wife Brenda of Tappahannock, Virginia, a granddaughter and three great-grandsons.
Carol received a BS degree from Kansas State University and worked as a registered dietitian most of her adult life. She also studied at the University of Washington and University of California, where she obtained a California teaching certificate.
She met Vern, a student at the University of Washington, during her 1957 dietetic internship there and they were married on December 23, 1958. They celebrated their 62nd Wedding Anniversary, just days before her death.
Carol’s first job was manager of food service at Everett Junior College in Washington State. She moved to Richmond, California in 1960, then to Hagerstown, Maryland in 1963 and back to California in 1965. Taking some time off to raise Bradley and Rebecca, she worked in food service management again from 1967 at StewartHill, Manning’s and the Contra Costa County Health Department until her retirement in November 2006.
Church and community activities included serving as a Deacon at First Presbyterian Church, starting in 1972 along with many other church duties. She spent the first eight years of her retirement collecting donated furniture and household items to furnish many of the apartments at Garden Park Apartments, operated by Contra Costa Interfaith Housing, to provide housing for homeless families. She was also a founding member of P.E.O. Chapter RV in Danville from 1966 and served in many ways during those 54 years.
Her hobbies included gardening and testing or improving recipes. She also learned to weave, using the fabrics to make clothing and decorative wall hangings. Her early travels included trips to Mexico and Bolivia. She visited many States and National Parks during summer vacations with her husband and children, usually including a visit to her parents and friends, in Girard, Kansas.
As Carol’s family grieves her death, a celebration of her life is appropriate. She lived a life marked by her Christian faith and fellowship that will be remembered. Carol served as a loving, caring wife, mother and citizen. She will be missed by family and friends.