Carol Embach

Born April 11, 1928 to John and Eleanor (nee Reiman) Heider in Chicago, Carol passed away on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 at the age of 86.

Family was most important to Carol, but she was also an avid dog lover. As a hobby, Carol played the accordion and organ. She spent 25 years working as a pharmacy technician and was also a Third Order of Frances member at St. Thomas Church.

Carol was a devoted mother to her children, Richard (Nancy), Laurel (Brett) Michaels, Robert (Diane), and Barbara (Patrick) McCarthy; cherished grandmother to Jessica (Sarunas) Jankauskas, Natalie (Jared) Tryon, Beth (Glen) Pecoraro, Kristen (David) Stade, Caytlin (David) Kingston, Benjamin, Jonathan, Nicholas McCarthy, Ciara Ruffino, and Anthony Ruffino; loving great-grandmother to 10 great-granchildren; and sister to John (Mary) Heider and Richard (Marjorie) Heider.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Theodore Embach; grandson, Zachary Embach; brother, Donald Heider; and sister, Ellen Heider.

Carol not only touched the lives of friends and family, she shaped them through her enduring love and encouragement. She was genuine and gentle with great underlying strength. A curious mix of wisdom and humor. The first to pick up the banner for a cause you thought you’d lost. Her heartbeat was the core of our family. She wanted little for herself but everything for all of us and so much as it was in her power pursued that end. Thousands of meals and thousands of problems, large and small, through three generations resolved by the diminutive woman at the old dining room table. “The only person you’ve got to square it with is yourself,” she often said. Her only fear was that of storms, which she conquered early Tuesday morning through the wild rains to final peace. She will live in all of our hearts forever.

Visitation will be held Monday, May 19, 2014 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. at Davenport Family Funeral Home, 419 E Terra Cotta Ave (Rt. 176), Crystal Lake. Mass will be held the following day, Tuesday, May 20 at 11 a.m. at St. Thomas the Apostle Church, 451 W Terra Cotta Ave, Crystal Lake. Burial will follow in Crystal Lake Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to either the Salvation Army, Metropolitan Division, 5040 N. Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL 60630 or to Pets in Need, P.O. Box 58, Ringwood, IL 60072.