Carole Anne Hirth (nee Williams) passed away peacefully in the afternoon of July 19 at the age of 81. She was born to the late Earl Victor Williams and Ruth Jane Williams (nee Gibson) in Oklahoma City, OK, on December 8, 1942.  She was predeceased by her brother, Errol Victor Williams. She is survived by her loving husband, Paul R. Hirth; J. Andrew Hirth, her stepson, and his wife, Kerry; John Ballenot, her brother-in-law, and his wife, Susan Reinhard, and their daughter, Lana; her niece, Cynthia (Matt) Wilson, and her nephews, Jim (Deborah) Williams and Steve (Cindy Carol) Williams.

Carole attended primary school in Chicago, IL, and elementary and high school in Winchester, KY, and she went to SEMO, in Cape Girardeau, MO, for her bachelor’s and master’s degrees.  She worked in summer stock in Bowling Green, KY. In 1972, Carole, with a troupe of actors from St Louis, toured Italy for a month while performing “Three Cuckholds” in the Commedia dell’arte style in town squares throughout the country. They earned their passage across the Atlantic by performing aboard ship. Her teaching career began in Sikeston, MO, but for the next 29 years she taught at Mehlville High School, the last 10 years as Language Arts Coordinator for the Mehlville School District. A highlight of her career was serving on the Executive Board of The National Council of Teachers of English, being the Program Chair for the NCTE Spring Conference in Colorado Springs, and winning the Paul and Kate Farmer Award for writing the best article for NCTE’s English Journal in 1996.

A woman of many talents, she augmented her income by working at Wolfe’s Clothing in Crestwood, as a bank teller, and as a server at Old Mexico. She directed all the school plays as well. She sang with the Metropolitan Singers for a number of years and served as a Deacon at Kirkwood Baptist Church.

After retirement she worked as an assistant at Dierberg’s Cooking School, and it was the perfect match. Carole loved to read cookbooks and was wonderful in the kitchen. One of her greatest joys was having dinner parties for her friends and relatives, usually 8 to 12 but occasionally 16. Frequently she used her grandmother’s recipes, which stated that many needed an extra spoon of sugar. Carole added sweetness to everything she did.

Memorial Service: August 3^rd  at the First Presbyterian Church of Kirkwood,  100 E. Adams, Kirkwood, MO. Visitation at 10:00 am and service at 11:00 am with reception to follow.

Donations:

The Lewy Body Dementia Association,

912 Killian Hill Road SW, Ste 105

Lilburn, GA  30047

 or

Stray Rescue of St. Louis

2320 Pine St.

St. Louis, MO 63103