Carol Jean Shade

Chippewa Lake – Carol Jean Root Shade, 95, is reunited with her “blue eyed boy” after she passed away Tuesday, May 7, 2019 at Sprenger Health Care Smithville Western Nursing Home.

Carol Jean was born October 4, 1923 to Everett and Ruth (Haskins) Root in Chicago, IL.  She had fond memories growing up on the south side of Chicago with her 2 brothers, whom she adored. Her loving parents shared & encouraged her love of flowers, gardening, art, and photography.  After Carol Jean graduated from Hirsch Metropolitan High School, she worked briefly in downtown Chicago with a dream to enroll in The Art Institute of Chicago.  In the summer of 1942, those plans changed when she went to Ohio to stay with relatives and met a “blue eyed boy” at a neighboring farm.  Carol Jean Root and Raymond Robert Shade were married on June 4, 1943. Together they raised three sons and a daughter and were married for 68 years when Raymond passed away in 2011.

Carol Jean loved the outdoors. She loved working in her flower gardens and hiking in local parks or flower gardens.  She had a talent for drawing, sketching, and painting. Her family treasures the artwork and teddy bears, she made specifically for them.  She also loved animals and was most interested in dogs, horses, & birds.  She believed in taking care of nature and people.  She was a faithful blood donor for many years for The American Red Cross.  She enjoyed reading, collected National Geographic Magazines, and was faithful in hand writing letters to relatives scattered across the country.

Carol Jean is survived by her sons, Gary (Mary Alice) Shade of Smithville, Richard Shade and Robert Shade, both of Chippewa Lake; daughter Ruth (Glenn) Rodden of Baldwin City, Kansas; grandchildren, Terry Shade of West Chicago, IL and Dorene (Robert) Clark of Wooster; 5 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her husband Raymond; her parents; brother Robert Root and his wife Ruth; brother Wilbur Root and his wife Lucia; brother-in-law Elmer Shade Jr. and his wife Lucille, brother-in-law Earl Shade and his wife Jeanne, sister-in-law Clarabell and her husband Robert Sigler; nephews and a niece.

A private family celebration of Carol Jean’s life will take place at a later date.  The family wishes to thank all the nursing home staff and Hospice nurses for their loving care of our Mother/Grandmother. Memorial Contributions may be made to Lifecare Hospice of Wayne County, Ohio and The Nature Conservancy of Ohio.