Carolyn Catherine Yerden

December 10, 1923 – September 9, 2011

Carolyn Catherine Yerden passed peacefully at her home in Woodinville Washington on September 9, 2011. She was born in New York City to George and Hazel Mullaly. As a young working girl at Bell Telephone Laboratories in New York, she met the love of her life, Raymond S. Yerden with whom she would share a full life for 65 years. “Ray and Carol” began their married life, and Carol’s life work, on Long Island, first in Levitown, then Farmingdale, where soon their family grew to five children: Linda, Madelyn, Trisha, Tom and Jane. In 1964, Carol packed up the household to begin one of the first family adventures. The family moved to New Mexico where Ray worked on the Apollo project and helped put the first man on the moon. Ray’s work for Grumman Aerospace would eventually take the family from New Mexico, to Whidbey Island, Washington, and Camarillo, California. In 1974, Ray and Carol set off with the two youngest children on a new chapter of adventures to work in Tehran, Iran; Misawa, Japan; Cairo, Egypt; and New York. Across the globe, family remained at the center for Carol. Her life’s work was her family; trusted advisor, companion and wife to her husband, center of the universe for her children and grandchildren. She was the glue for an entire family, orbiting around her. In 1990, Ray and Carol eased their globetrotting and retired to Woodinville, Washington, where Carol continued to track children, grandchildren and her next best love…sports. The Seahawks and Mariners were added to her family. She is survived by her loving husband, Ray Yerden of Woodinville, WA; sister Jane Nicolini of Cutchogue, New York; brother-in-law, Gil Yerden of Remsenburg, New York.; her children, Linda (Jim) Saunders of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Madelyn (Dan) Walker of Seward, Alaska; Trisha Ball (Tom) of Danville, California; Tom (Carol) Yerden of Salmon, Idaho; Jane (Tom) Hawkinson of Sammamish, Washington; 13 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Carol was the guiding light and inspiration to her children for family devotion and lifelong companionship. Her sign off was always, “Love you Big as the Sky”.

Go Seahawks!

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