Caroline Loretta Kirk was born April 9, 1962 with the biggest blue eyes and loving smile. She passed away on May 1, 2025 with those Irish eyes still smiling.

She was a fierce friend. She loved her family. She never backed away from helping someone, and her sympathetic nature endured her to many. She loved animals, nature and quiet evenings at home. Her heart knew no bounds.

Shortly after graduation from high school, she was in a horrific car accident that put her in a coma for 9 days. This accident impacted her in many ways, but never changing her kind spirit. She went on to graduate from Mt. Hood Community College and then began a career as a personal banker, which she did for nearly 30 years. During those 30 years, Carrie also beat breast cancer which inspired her to participate in Race for the Cure walk-a-thons with friends and family for many years.

More recently she continued her helping ways working at Home Depot in Milwaukie. She spent close to 8 years there assisting hundreds of customers find the perfect houseplant, BBQ, or fertilizer. She loved her co-workers and had many favorite customers.

In her spare time, she enjoyed trips to the Oregon Coast with friends, doing beautiful cross-stitch projects, going to antique stores and gardening. Her favorite place to travel was Ireland, which she was able to do twice with her entire family. And let’s not forget about her love of cats. Her cats were her kids and she loved every one of them. She was even known to put out small Christmas meals for her neighborhood kitties.

Her classmates were also very special to her. She stayed in contact with several of them and they will be the ones that carry her to her final resting place.

Carrie was preceded in death by her baby sister, Martha, and just 10 months ago, her Dad, Dick, and 7 months ago, her Mom, Joanne. She is survived by her siblings: Shannon (Randy), Sherry (Neville), Richard (Julie), Mary (Tom), 11 nieces and nephews, 12 great nieces and nephews, tons of cousins, and many loving friends.

What we would like everyone to do today is take a deep breath and realize how important each of our breaths are and how fragile life is. Never did we imagine that a year ago at this time, our core family would go from 7 to 4. We will miss our sweet Carrie but believe she is resting comfortably in God’s hands and is finally free from life’s heavy burdens. We can visualize her up in heaven, already helping the next person … with those beautiful Irish eyes still smiling.

Her services will be at St. Paul Catholic Church, St. Paul, Oregon on Thursday, May 15th. Rosary at 10:30 am and mass at 11:00. Burial will follow at St. Paul Cemetery. Luncheon immediately afterwards at St. Paul Community Hall. Funeral Arrangements by Simon-Cornwell Colonial Chapel, Woodburn.

Donations can be made in Carrie’s name to the St. Paul Parochial School Endowment Fund, PO BOX 188, St. Paul, OR 97137, or the Oregon Humane Society, 1067 NE Columbia Blvd, Portland, OR 97211.