Carol Ann Dey (14 Mar 1939 - 23 Jul 2026)

In loving memory of Carol Ann Dey who sadly passed away on 23rd July 2026.

Carol was born in Sheffield on 14th March 1939, the only child of Kathleen and George Edward (Ned) Clarke.

She met the love of her life, Chris, in Sheffield and married him 1962, 4 days before her 23rd birthday. They went on to have three daughters, Judith, Lisa & Yvette and two granddaughters, Emily & Alice, Carol was also fortunate enough to see the arrival of her great granddaughter, Imogen, in 2018. Family was everything to Carol and she was devastated when Chris passed away in 2012.

Carol loved the city she came from and loved to meet and chat with folks from Sheffield. She was introduced to football in the 1950s by her father and Carol became a lifelong fan of Sheffield Wednesday football club, she used to joke that she was one of the original football hooligans and often used to tell the story about her father and husband holding her back at the match when a rival supporter said the best team won. Even when she was no longer able to attend matches because of her mobility she still followed her team and watched whenever the match was on TV.

Chris joined the RAF before the birth of their youngest child and on the first posting abroad they both became fluent in Dutch as they found themselves in a small village in The Netherlands. Carol loved the forces life and carried those times with her always. During these years Carol and Chris enjoyed socialising and made friends, some of those she still had up to her death. Carol had an adventurist streak engaging in activities including match shooting, potholing and flying a glider as well as more sedate things like darts and whist, she was a competitive 10 pin bowler, winning many trophies and held the woman’s house record at RAF Brize Norton for a long time until her partner Liz eventually took it off her. She carried the RAF with her until her passing even being part of Facebook group for those connected to NATO AFCENT Brunssum. Carol never forgot her experiences of living in The Netherlands and held great respect for the Dutch people, Chris and Carol took several trips to Amsterdam just so she could go shopping in Albert Heijn and eat frikandel and after Chris’s passing she would go with Yvette.

Carol had a head for numbers and spent much of her working life working in accounts and pay-role but after Chris retired from the RAF they bought a Mexican restaurant, Panchos, which allowed Carol to share her love and talent for cooking and yes, she still cooked for the 5000 at home every Sunday. They also discovered the Greek Islands which became their go to holiday destination as it suited their laid back personalities and loved how open and friendly the Greek people were.

After the restaurant closed and Carol retired she volunteered at Hope for the Homeless cooking meals for the clients, even giving up her own Christmas day one year so she could cook for those who had nowhere else to go, she got to know the clients well and never treated them with anything but respect. Even later in her life she did a lot for those less fortunate than herself, she bought toys through the year and donated them to Help a Hallam Child, bought blankets for people in her village struggling with affording to keep themselves warm amongst other charitable acts, she did all this anonymously as she didn't do it for the recognition or glory.

In recent years Carol re-connected with Julie, someone she originally met in AFCENT, they met again when Carol started whist after Chris passed away. Together they attended whist drives many times a week where she met and enjoyed the company of many new people. Carol thought the world of Julie and was very grateful to have her in her life.

Like everyone Carol wasn’t perfect, she could be stubborn as a mule at times and hold grudges that lasted years but mostly Carol was a very caring soul and generous to a fault but her true spirit and kindness was seen in the way animals would come to her when they would not approach anyone else, she cared deeply for all animals but was definitely a cat person. She loved cats and was often adopted by strays even after she said she wasn’t having any more.

Carol was a very special person, a gentle soul the likes of which comes along once in a lifetime and touched many people’s lives, she will be missed by all who knew her.