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In Memoriam
Carolyn Crist Thom
February 11, 1945 - November 9, 2024
On Saturday morning, November 9, 2024, I received a call from Bruce Thom, Carol’s husband, informing me of her passing. I first met Carol in Mrs. Jacobsen’s kindergarten class at Havens in 1949. We continued in the same class at Havens, then went on to Piedmont Junior and Senior High. Carol was a cheerful, occasionally silly, extrovert with many friends and remained that way for the rest of her life.
A highlight of both high school and college was being a cheerleader and spending time with her many friends. After college she spent an amazing year traveling the world as a flight attendant. In 1968, Carol married fellow Piedmonter Bart Bates. They moved to Orinda, had two children, and enjoyed spending time at Claremont Country Club, Feather River Park Resort in Graeagle, and Amagansett, NY. After Carol and Bart divorced, Carol married Dr. Bob Charm of Walnut Creek, and they were married until he passed away in 2002. In 2006, she married Bruce Thom of Chico.
Carol, with Bruce’s help, wrote the following entry for our 2012 Clan-O-Log. “Dr. Robert Charm left her a widow ten years ago. She suffered a major setback, Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, 94 days in John Muir ICU, August 17 to November 17, 2011. Fortunately, she has no real memory of being in ICU. Life returned in 2012.”
Carol continues, "After the return back to normal life from ICU, it has taken a long time, but I feel like I have been blessed with my new life and my sweet husband. I went to the 40th reunion. It was not as much fun as I had expected it to be since everyone wanted to know where my recently deceased husband Bob was. And in 2004 I met Bruce. We met online. It was funny since in the first encounter we realized we had friends in common. He was in Real Estate. He sold his home in Danville, and we bought a nicer home at Rossmoor and retired.” In 2006, she married Bruce Thom of Chico. She and Bruce spent 18 years living in Rossmoor and enjoying time with family, playing dominoes and traveling.
Carol leaves behind her two children, her sister and brother-in-law, Cathy and Tom Perkins, many beloved nieces and nephews, and dear friends. Carol loved life, loved to laugh, and loved her family. She will be deeply missed. We will all miss Carol.
-- Earl Sawyer
There will be a memorial service for Carol at St. Stevens in Orinda on December 28 at 11 AM.
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Earl Sawyer
Hi Everyone
We all miss Carol.
A Memorial-Celebration of Life for Carol will be held on December 28 at 11:00 am at St. Stevens Episcopal Church, 66 St. Stevens Drive, Orinda, CA 94563.
Earl Sawyer, November 20, 2024
Earl Sawyer
Sue Gross asked Earl to post the following:
Maryly Snow
Earl remembers Carol as being in all his Havens classes. That's not the way I remember it. In the 6th grade, 4 girls from one or two of the other Havens classes (same grade) were transferred into Earl's and my class. The teachers and Mr. Brown (the principal) felt that Earl's and my class was a bit too shy, that we needed the vibrancy of Carol Christ, Carol Rose, and two others? Ginny McLeod? And who else? Those 4 girls lightened up our quiet class. I was so very excited!
But I had met Carol earlier because she lived around the corner from me. We first played together during a very rainy spell. The gutters were always flowing down Blair and Hillside. We made boats of out Sycamore leaves and popsicle sticks.
Carol and I climbed the large oak in the Crist's front yard, Carol leading the way. But my courage always failed when it was time to climb down. Luckily, these climbing adventures were on the weekends, when Mr. Crist was home. At least twice, maybe even 3 times. he had to help me out of the tree. I was very embarrassed that I hadn't learned how to do it like Carol did.
Carol and I started a sex club. We met in the large space over the Crist's garage. To join the club, you had to do 2 things: draw a picture of a naked person of the opposite sex, and then stand on the small platform and take off your pants. After initiation, we lost interest. So we started a church club, where we met with our Bibles. I had a lovely small metal cross that showed our change from the sex club to the church club. We lost interest in that too.
One summer between 7th and 8th grades, we group of girls got ahold of some racy, sexy paperback. It could have been Lady Chatterly's Lover or something more contemporary. We were in the Crist's den looking for the sexy passages, which we would read aloud to one another. Suddenly, there were lots of boys from out class outside, listening in through the windows! I remember Den Howard and Larry Huddleson, but there were about 8 or more.
Many decades later, when Carol was married to Dr. Bob Charm, she invited me to the very grand hotel on Union Square to her daughter Terry's coming out party. What hotel was that? The one with the doorman in uniform? I wasn't going to the dance part, but just to the rooms they had rented where Terry changed into her white debutante dress. When I got there, Bob Charm was busy in an adjoining room getting dressed into his tuxedo. We waited with great anticipation to see his in a full tuxedo. When he finally emerged, he was wearing a pair of googly eye glasses, insisting he would wear these for Terry's debut. I was slightly appalled while Carol was doubled over with laughter.
Carol, doubling over with laughter, is how I want to remember her.
Maryly Snow