Carol Ann (Lipska) Howard
Obituary
Carol Ann Howard, age 75, passed away peacefully with her daughters by her side on November 5, 2024, in Medford, Oregon after a sudden and short illness. Carol was born in Watsonville, CA to Harold and Glenna Lipska. At the age of 19, she became a school bus driver for the Pajaro Valley Unified School District where she had the privilege to build many lifelong relationships with the children that she was entrusted to deliver from their homes to school and back home safely. She loved the conversations that she had with so many of those children about their school day and their families.
Being a school bus driver enabled Carol to create her own family and spend precious time with her daughters during their younger years. She developed many long-lasting friendships with many of those she drove bus with considering them her second family. To secure her financial future for herself and her girls, she chose to become a Bus Operator for Santa Cruz County Transit where she drove until her retirement in 2004. She moved to Medford, OR and enjoyed helping her daughter raise her boys. She loved being Ama to her grandchildren and built an amazing bond with them.
Carol was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, cousin and friend who will be missed dearly. She loved going to her family (Lipska and Bates) reunions, playing games, water aerobics, dancing, music and always laughing at life. She never met a stranger and was always willing to help her family and friends. She is survived by her daughters: Suzanne (husband: Dominic) Cavallaro of Medford, OR and Bobbie (husband: Lee) Norton of Tustin, CA. Her four grandchildren: Nicholas Cavallaro of Medford, OR, Alexis Norton of Tustin, CA, Derek Norton (fiancé: Austyn Hayes) of Tustin, CA and Nathan Cavallaro of Medford, OR. Her three siblings: Joe Lipska (wife: Barbara) of Tigard, OR, Debora Lipska of Portland, OR and Dean Lipska (wife: Janet) of Corpus Christi, TX. She leaves many nieces, nephews, aunts, uncles and cousins since she came from a very large family. She is preceded in death by her father Harold Lipska, mother: Glenna Bryan Lipska and her loving partner: Jack Joyce.
We will be having a Celebration of Life on March 1, 2025 at noon at the Corralitos Padres Hall.
Published in The Pajaronian · December 4, 2024