Obituary of CAROL JEAN LAING

Following a battle with cancer, Carol Jean Laing passed away on December 20, 2008 in Menlo Park, California with members of her family close by. She was born Carol Jean Fedder on January 17, 1920 in Potlatch, Idaho, the third and youngest child of William J. Fedder and Nellie Fedder. Her husband, Colonel Robert B. Laing, USMC (Ret.), of Spokane, Washington, "Bob" to his friends and family, predeceased her in 1984. Carol is survived by three of her four children, R. Bruce Laing of San Rafael, California, Michael P. Laing of Waldoboro, Maine and New York City, and daughter, Robin Carol Holland of Portola Valley, California. Carol's older daughter, Jaime Jean Quinn died in 1979. Carol is also survived by six grandchildren, Kendall Holland, of Seattle, Tyler, Bennett, and Adrian Holland of Portola Valley, Angharad Laing, of Boston, and Robert Laing, of Waldoboro, Maine. Known as Jean or Jeanie in her early years, Carol was an artist, played the violin, and was an accomplished swimmer and diver. Carol graduated in 1937 from Lewis & Clarke High School in Spokane, Washington. She attended the University of Washington, but left to take an government job in Washington, D.C. before the United States entered World War II, following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. It was in Washington, D.C. that she had a chance encounter with her husband-to-be, Bob Laing, who had been a class ahead of Carol at Lewis & Clarke High School, and who was then a midshipman at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. Carol and Bob married and left the Naval Academy Chapel under an arch of swords the day Bob graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in January, 1943 and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a Marine Corps wife, Carol had four children and raised them on or near military bases in North Carolina, Texas, Florida, California, Alabama, Hawaii, Germany and Okinawa. Carol had a great sense of style, was an accomplished hostess, a avid gardener, and a passionate Bridge player, remaining an expert player right to the end of her life. When she and Bob retired in Laguna Beach, Ca, she became an excellent painter. She painted many beautiful landscapes, some of which she sold through galleries, but many of which she kept or gave to friends and family. Carol was athletic in an era that did not offer many athletic opportunities to women. She loved water-skiing, and in the 1950's, was one of the few women who skied on a single slalom ski. She was a great hiker and picker of huckleberries on family vacations at Priest Lake, Idaho. She was also adventurous. She swam with her adult children on several of their annual New Year's Day swims at Laguna Beach. She skied in Germany and Austria. She rode on the back of a motorcycle at age 78. She will be missed by many. Private services have been held.




To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of CAROL LAING, please visit Tribute Store