Caroline Collier Doan
April 14th, 1932 - May 31st, 2023
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Caroline's Obituary
Caroline Doan, 91, formerly of St. Joseph, passed away, Wednesday, May 31, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held 10:30 A.M. Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Rev. Tom Bird officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph. Friends may visit with the family from 9:30 until 10:30 A.M. Saturday at the funeral home. Memorial donations in Caroline’s name may be made to Berrien County Cancer Service. Those wishing to sign Caroline’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.
Caroline was born April 14, 1932 in Whitewater, Colorado to Ernest & Bertha (Hoover) Sloan. She moved to the Midwest after meeting and marrying James Collier in 1953, and together they raised four children. As they grew up, Caroline attended thousands of their baseball, football, and basketball games, and she opened her home to the whole neighborhood, cooking big meals for friends and family alike. After James passed away, she met and married Delbert Doan in 1992. They helped to shape their church community, where Caroline taught Sunday school, and on the weekends, they designed and painted woodwork and gardened in their huge backyard. In her spare time she enjoyed reading, sewing, and attending to her roses. While Caroline held a variety of jobs throughout her life, she felt most connected to her final work as a home healthcare aide. She spoke fondly of working with patients living with dementia, whom she cared for with generosity, patience, and love. Caroline approached life with humor, kindness, and a deep faith in God, whom she was ready to join in the afterlife. Today, she’s with the beloved family that left the earth before her.
Caroline is survived by her children-Pam (Bob) Olson of Mesa, AZ, Jim (Deb) Collier & Michael (Coreen) Collier both of St. Joseph, daughter-in-law Romy Collier of Benton Harbor; grandchildren-Jeff (Danielle) Collier, Sarah (Brandon) Culver, Diane (Bryan) Dearinger, Jennafer (Travis) Slanger, Ashlee (Jeremy) Tilly, Kristin (Mike) Alberti, Kelsey Collier, Lindsy (Brad) Rudasill,; great-grandchildren-Peyton & Brody Culver, Hailey & Wyatt Dearinger, Avary & Ashtyn Slanger, Drake & Remi Tilly, Ryder & Hudson Collier, Ruby, Evie & Marlow Rudasil, Frances Alberti; and several nieces & nephews. Caroline was preceded in death by her husbands James Collier & Delbert Doan, two sons-infant David Cook & Randy Collier, and by siblings Jess, Sam, Shelby & Hilred Sloan & Lilly Upchurch.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held 10:30 A.M. Saturday, June 10, 2023 at Starks & Menchinger Chapel, 2650 Niles Rd., St. Joseph, with Rev. Tom Bird officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery, St. Joseph. Friends may visit with the family from 9:30 until 10:30 A.M. Saturday at the funeral home. Memorial donations in Caroline’s name may be made to Berrien County Cancer Service. Those wishing to sign Caroline’s Memory Book online may do so at www.starks-menchinger.com.
Caroline was born April 14, 1932 in Whitewater, Colorado to Ernest & Bertha (Hoover) Sloan. She moved to the Midwest after meeting and marrying James Collier in 1953, and together they raised four children. As they grew up, Caroline attended thousands of their baseball, football, and basketball games, and she opened her home to the whole neighborhood, cooking big meals for friends and family alike. After James passed away, she met and married Delbert Doan in 1992. They helped to shape their church community, where Caroline taught Sunday school, and on the weekends, they designed and painted woodwork and gardened in their huge backyard. In her spare time she enjoyed reading, sewing, and attending to her roses. While Caroline held a variety of jobs throughout her life, she felt most connected to her final work as a home healthcare aide. She spoke fondly of working with patients living with dementia, whom she cared for with generosity, patience, and love. Caroline approached life with humor, kindness, and a deep faith in God, whom she was ready to join in the afterlife. Today, she’s with the beloved family that left the earth before her.
Caroline is survived by her children-Pam (Bob) Olson of Mesa, AZ, Jim (Deb) Collier & Michael (Coreen) Collier both of St. Joseph, daughter-in-law Romy Collier of Benton Harbor; grandchildren-Jeff (Danielle) Collier, Sarah (Brandon) Culver, Diane (Bryan) Dearinger, Jennafer (Travis) Slanger, Ashlee (Jeremy) Tilly, Kristin (Mike) Alberti, Kelsey Collier, Lindsy (Brad) Rudasill,; great-grandchildren-Peyton & Brody Culver, Hailey & Wyatt Dearinger, Avary & Ashtyn Slanger, Drake & Remi Tilly, Ryder & Hudson Collier, Ruby, Evie & Marlow Rudasil, Frances Alberti; and several nieces & nephews. Caroline was preceded in death by her husbands James Collier & Delbert Doan, two sons-infant David Cook & Randy Collier, and by siblings Jess, Sam, Shelby & Hilred Sloan & Lilly Upchurch.
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