Carol Simmons Obituary

Carol Simmons, a leading figure in the local fight against domestic violence, died at the age of 77 on February 20th, 2024. The cause of death was ovarian cancer.

Carol Carpenter Simmons was born on May 24, 1946, in Hartford, CT, to Charles Richard Carpenter and Elizabeth (Young) Carpenter, both now deceased. She had an older brother, Charles Richard Carpenter, Jr., now also deceased. They grew up in a small lakeside community outside of Hartford until Carol was 10 when the family moved to the North Shore suburb of Wilmette, IL.

It was in Wilmette that Carol grew up, graduating from New Trier High School in 1964. She went to the University of Wisconsin for four years. She married her high school sweetheart Robert "Bob" Lionel Simmons on the 29th of November 1968.

In 1976, Carol and Bob moved to Boulder, CO, where Carol continued her studies at Metro State University, earning her BA in Women's Studies in 1979. For a while, the couple worked in the mental health field while residing in Littleton, Colorado.

Late in 1981, the couple spent a brief period in Yakima, WA, just long enough to discover that they were at heart Colorado mountain people. They returned to Boulder, finally settling in their true home in Durango in December of 1982.

During their first two years in Durango, Carol served as a "lifty" and ski host at Purgatory Ski Area, helping skiers on and off the lifts, and she loved to tell stories of those days.

Carol had a passion for life that was evident in everything she undertook. She and Bob spent many days backpacking in the mountains of Colorado, cruising the seven seas, and visiting foreign lands.

In 1994, she and Bob took a dive trip to Dominica in the Caribbean to celebrate their 25th anniversary. It was there they met and fell in love with a 6-month-old orphaned infant who would change their lives. They adopted the infant, Paulette Dominique Carpenter Simmons, and brought her back to Durango where she grew up as their beloved daughter. She was the light of Carol's life and the family recently returned to Dominica where they celebrated Paulette's marriage to Patrick Jorgenson.

Carol dedicated her entire personal and professional life to the advancement of women in our culture. In Durango, she was active in women's affairs, joining the Women's Resource Center and Alternative Horizons, where she eventually served as Executive Director for over 20 years. As a founding member of the local Domestic Violence Prevention Coalition, she helped to develop Intervention protocols for law enforcement, judges, probation officers, counselors and other parties dealing with domestic violence. She also served on the Victims Compensation Board. She was appointed acting Director of the Colorado Coalition against Domestic Violence, a statewide advocacy group and was a member of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Carol loved good food, good wine, and good conversations which she shared with good friends. She was a beloved member of a diverse group of women who called themselves the Wine-30 group. She will be missed.

She is survived by her husband, lifetime companion, and best friend of 62 years Bob Simmons, and her daughter Paulette Jorgenson. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be sent to Alternative Horizons of Durango.