Carol M. Harrell

Beloved by family and friends, Carol Harrell joined her husband Charlie in Heaven on Wednesday, October 4th, 2023 at the age of 83. 

Carol was born on December 24, 1939 in the small town of Wailuku on Maui, located in the then Territory of Hawaii.  She grew up with a passion for music.  A natural at operatic vocals in her teens and early twenties, Carol soon developed a love for contemporary music. Pursuing her passion, she met her future husband Charlie Harrell in 1963 while performing at the officer’s club at Hickam Air Force base in Honolulu Hawaii. They married on May 16, 1964. The births of their son Charles Jr and daughter Kathleen soon followed. 

    Life as the wife of an Air Force pilot took her to Illinois, Massachusetts, and finally to New Mexico. Being a devoted wife and mother, Carol also started the jewelry company C&C Trading in 1974, focusing on Native American jewelry.  When Charlie retired from the Air Force as a Lt Col in 1975, he quickly found a passion for silver stamp working and silversmithing.  The business continued for nearly fifty years.  

    Singing and guitar playing were perhaps her greatest passions of all.  She sang in the church choir for many years.  She could almost always be found humming a song as she went about her day wearing her colorful mu’umu’us.  Carol was well rooted in her Hawaiian heritage.  She gave her grandchildren Hawaiian names and introduced them to traditional Hawaiian dishes, folklore and songs.  In her later years, Carol sang and strummed guitar in the group Hawaiian Pride.  The group performed for audiences at assisted living homes.  The largest event was Summerfest.  Hawaiian Pride performed for thousands of enchanted fans as hula dancers swayed with the rhythm of traditional Hawaiian songs.  

    Carol loved living in New Mexico.  At her home in the foothills of Albuquerque, she often sat on her back porch, with “binos” (binoculars) in hand and the Sibley Guide to Birds at the ready.  Since 1976 Carol maintained a half dozen hummingbird feeders at her home.  It is estimated that she used hundreds of pounds of sugar in that timespan to make the bird juice.

    Second only to singing, fishing was her favorite activity.  The Crystal Coast at Atlantic Beach, NC was her hunting ground of choice.  Carol regularly caught the biggest fish, besting her husband and son.  She enjoyed the beach summer after summer for decades in the company of in-laws Sherlyn, Jean, Kathryn, and Wayne. 

    Above all, Carol was known for her loving and giving nature and generosity.  Her loving nature extended to her basenji dogs.  She will be greatly missed by all those whose lives she touched.  Although she is no longer with us in body, her spirit will continue to live on within us.

    Carol was predeceased by father Charles Moore, mother Carol Stringfellow, step father Willie Stringfellow, brother Charles Moore, and husband Charlie Harrell.  She is survived by brother Gordon Moore, son Charles Harrell, daughter Kathleen Perlinski, son-in-law Tony, four grandchildren Tatianna, Jeremy, Rachelle, Kaitlyn, and great grandchild Mal. Loved ones will continue to honor her legacy by living their lives to the fullest.

Services will be held at Gate of Heaven Cemetery on Friday October 20, 2023 at 10am.  In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to the ASPCA, an organization Carol felt strongly about.