Carole Theresa Lange

Carole T. Lange, 73 years old, was taken away by COVID-19 on January 19, 2021. She was a generous, strong, intelligent woman gone too soon. Carole will be remembered as a beloved daughter, warm-hearted mother, devoted grandmother, nurturing teacher, and self-sacrificing friend.

On June 9, 1947 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, Carole was born. After moving to California in the early 1950's with her parents, Angeline and Joseph Pace, she lived her youth honoring her family. She graduated from Hollywood High School in 1965 and later attended Los Angeles College of Nursing. In her late teens, she met the love of her life, Moritz Lange, and dated for several years. They were happily married and blessed with three beautiful children. Carole never remarried after losing her husband in 1978. She later worked at St. Francis Xavier, Paramount Studios Child Care, and Family School. Then, she began her career with the Burbank Unified School District as a Latchkey Teacher.

Carole is survived by: her sons, Shawn and Marty; her daughter, Erin; her daughter-in-law, Joy; her grandchildren, Marty and Megan; her Aunt Carrie; countless cousins, Annie, Dina, Philomena, and her dearest coworkers and friends, Michelle, Peggy, Debby, Letty, Zuleika, Anna Marie, and Jerry. Her students and parents will always remember her as well.

Family. That is what she valued most. As a proud Sicilian, she cherished Italian traditions and revealed the importance of them to her family. She is remembered smiling at the dinner table with plates of her homemade baked Ziti and hand-tossed salads. Carole held these dear to her heart – Catholicism, family get-togethers, and Frank Sinatra. After beating cancer twice, she was resilient and determined to live life to its fullest. Carole crocheted homemade hats, bags, and blankets for loved ones. She was a crafty woman and a master at board games. She adored Hallmark movies, online word games, and Jeopardy. Every night at 7 PM, she would watch Jeopardy with Shawn, her oldest son.

What did she love most? Her grandchildren. Her first grandson, Shane, was the light of her life until he passed away in 1996. Carole never stopped loving him. Megan and Marty, her only other grandchildren, made her incredibly proud. Carole loved them immensely. She was their biggest advocate; she showed her adoration for them by bragging about not only their accomplishments, but also their character. Carole was overjoyed by their pursuit of an upper education and their desire to show humility and kindness to others. Words cannot describe how devout of a grandmother she was.

Ms. Carole was everyone's grandmother. In September 1998, she started full time at Stevenson Elementary School as a childcare teacher. While working in her beloved Log Cabin, she treated her students and coworkers as if they were family. She was an authentic and intentional woman to every student she worked with. Once her students graduated from 5th grade, she would give a special book for each individual child to cherish. Carole gifted the joy of knowledge; she loved this tradition. And once her Log Cabin was replaced with the Stevenson Child Care Village, she was heartbroken, but still chose to serve. Her contribution to the community: teaching students to be kind to one another and helping struggling students during the pandemic. Instead of staying home, her commitment and dedication to help the lives of her students and family shined until the very end.