CAROL ANNE HUNT

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CAROL ANNE HUNT October 9, 1953 - November 3, 2016 Carol left us on her own terms, passing away in her home of over 40 years, after celebrating her 63rd birthday. Her friends and family are left with our memories of Carol as a beautiful woman in every way her absolutely fabulous sense of humour, her warm heart and a willingness to say yes to the good times and deal gracefully with difficult times. She was a wonderful sister, aunt and friend. Left to mourn, are her brothers and sisters: Calvin, Heather, Jim (Lynda), Valerie (Brian), Vernon, Marcia (Rob), Cynthia (Marc) and Stuart. Carol was a wonderful aunt to Chloe (Michael), Del (Devin), Kristin and Ashley, and a great-aunt to Justin, Epiphany, Tyron, Brayden; and a great-great-aunt to Indigo. She was predeceased by her parents, Sylvester Larned Hunt, Cora May Hunt; her husband Robert Gionet, in 2001 and partner Craig Walls, in 2013. Carol was born in Winnipeg's old Grace Hospital on October 9, 1953, the fifth of nine children. After finishing high school, she quickly learned that office work wasn't the right fit. She became a driving instructor, first at Joe Vine Driving School, then Kaye's Driving School and finally in the high school drivers' education program. She taught her many students well. While wine-making started as a hobby, Carol soon started working at WineKits. She moved over to WineSense and was the go-to coach for many customers, and won numerous wine-making competitions. Her wine cellar only had room for the best. She made her home the most welcoming place. In her 20s, while she didn't have much furniture, she always had room for one more around her dining table. Her parties became legendary and her home was where many of us had our happiest times with Carol. She was an adventurous motorcyclist and travelled with her sister Val down to the U.S. one year and met up with a welcoming group of American bikers, who became life-long friends. She was able to make one last trip to Menahga this year. She loved the outdoors and her and Robert earned the nickname of the Woodchucks. They loaded up the truck and went camping rain or shine. When most of us would be happy in our warm beds, they relished fresh air and peaceful places. After Robert died, Carol's inner strength and courage helped her to manage her grief. One night while she was stoking a fire in her backyard - she loved fires - a young stray cat came by attracted by the warmth. The cat continued to stop by every evening and finally decided to adopt Carol. She named him Tripper and he became her constant companion for over 10 years. When Craig came into Carol's life, he too loved the outdoors, but not camping. He bought a houseboat for them to explore Lake of the Woods together, where they enjoyed the freedom of choosing where to lay anchor and spend the night, while having all the amenities of home. They also took many trips together on Craig's motorcycle. Our sister Cynthia took compassionate leave and moved in to become Carol's special nurse. We know it hasn't been easy, but Cynthia was the right person for the job. Val, Chloe and Del learned the medication rituals and were a great help. Our thanks to Trish and her palliative care team, who made Carol's final weeks comfortable. Carol preferred to celebrate her life while she was still with us and once again, her house had non-stop visitors with friends and family from Florida to Vancouver Island. She invited her brothers, sisters and their spouses to her 63rd birthday bash; one more great party only our Carol could host. A private celebration with family and her many friends will be held at a later date. Dear Carol, we will miss you so and remember you always. If you wish, donate to CancerCare Manitoba, the Red Road Lodge or D'Arcy's Animal Rescue Centre.

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As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 05, 2016