Carole Anne Stephens passed away peacefully on July 25, 2026, at the age of 88. Born July 3, 1938, in St. Louis, Missouri, Carole spent the last year of her life in Sheboygan, WI in the loving care of her daughter Susan.
For 32 years, Carole made her home in Wesley Chapel, Florida, where she and her beloved husband, Ed, were devoted members of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church. Ed preceded her in death in March 2025, and she carried his memory close in the months that followed.
Carole’s greatest joy and life’s work was her family. She was the cherished mother of seven children: David Stephens (Kathy), Susan Wickland (Ed), Dianne Schneeberger (Brad), Mark Stephens (Ellen), Paul Stephens (Leesa), Brian Stephens (Aleisha), and Karen Green (Andy)—and one three-foot snowman. She was a proud and loving grandmother to 24 grandchildren and great-grandmother to 8 great-grandchildren.
She is also survived by her siblings, Sister Marilynn Wittenauer of the Sisters of Mercy, and Bill Wittenauer (Janet).
To know Carole was to be cared for by her, whether she was baking her marble brownies, coffee cakes, or must-have Doo-Dads, decorating for holidays – especially Christmas, where no part of her home was left untouched, including her gift-wrapped kitchen – she had a gift for making every family gathering feel like a celebration
Carole was also the first to arrive whenever one of her children moved into a new home. Armed with paint, wallpaper, curtains, and boundless energy, she could turn an empty house into a warm home within days. That was simply who she was: she provided whatever was needed, whenever it was needed, to whomever needed it.
Carole leaves behind a family shaped by her love, her generosity, and her endless devotion. She will be deeply missed and forever remembered.
Funeral services will be on Friday, August 21st at 10:00 AM at St. Gerard Majella Catholic Church in St. Louis, MO, with a luncheon to follow, details TBA. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Carole Stephens. https://www.alz.org/get-involved-now/donate