Obituary

William L. (Bill) Carroll, Neptune Beach, died suddenly at his daily gym workout 12/31/24 despite valiant efforts by medical personnel exercising with him. He was born in Centralia, WA, 2/28/48, the 2nd of 4 children of Jim and Dottie (Lewis) Carroll. Bill was raised in the tiny town of Napavine, WA, where he met his love, life, and professional partner, Jeanne Lafond, in elementary school. Their parents were best friends. Bill was a 4-sport letterman and Student Body President and worked weekends and summers at Carlson Farms.

Bill and Jeanne were a team from the start, graduating together from NHS in 1966 and married 2/4/67. Adored son Randy quickly followed, and the three of them “grew up together.” The large Carroll/Lafond Clan centered around Bill in his kitchen after he discovered his great gift and passion for cooking in his early 20’s. His dear friend Lummi elder Willie Cooper told him his “cooking was his medicine.” When he cooked, he healed the people. He dedicated himself to his “medicine” till his last breath.

Bill and Jeanne lived and worked the first 3 years of their marriage at Fissell-Brown Mortuary and Ambulance Service in Chehalis while Bill went to Centralia Community College and followed his first passion: flying. As a helicopter crew chief in Washington National Guard, he had fallen in love with flying. He graduated from UW in 1972 and went to work for Xerox while supporting Jeanne as she headed for college and Randy started elementary school. In 1981, the Carrolls started the first high technology executive recruiting firm in the PNW. Bill left to run his small networking firm, MicroLink, for a decade before rejoining Jeanne in support of her organizational consulting practice. The Carrolls are known as “organizational ER docs,” serving executive teams in crisis as well as VC partnerships.

In 1989, right after Randy’s marriage to his own high school sweetheart, Terri (Kelley) Carroll, Bill had a heart attack scare. On the way home from the CICU, Bill told Jeanne he was “going home.” He didn’t mean their home in Seattle, but rather the weekend retreat and retirement home they had built in 1987 at Neptune Beach, where Jeanne’s grandparents had had a cabin since 1951. A move planned for decades later became 2 years. Bill embraced a new set of passions while continuing to “cook for the people.” He loved music, exercise, vegetable gardening, reading, salmon fishing, and boating, moving from a 22’ SeaSport to a 42’ Grand Banks. They loved the San Juans, Canadian Gulf Islands, and especially Desolation Sound, often in the company of Jeanne’s sister Mary Lafond, brother-in-law Jim Sutter, and their sons James and Anthony, along with their own beloved children and grandchildren. There were memorable family vacations to Mexico, Hawaii, NYC, Lake Chelan, and Lake Shuswap, and annual gatherings at family cabins in Chesaw and Long Beach, WA. Bill accompanied Jeanne on two pilgrimages to the sacred isle of Iona, Scotland. They enjoyed the Galapagos, Italy, Alaska, Arizona, and Ketchum, ID with best friends of 50+ years, Steven and April Kieburtz. Bill’s daily routine began with a trip to the gym followed by visits to one to four grocery stores for “just the right ingredients” for what he was making that night.

Bill embraced the family legacy of community service. Dad Jim Carroll had been the longest-serving town councilman in US history in Napavine, with 42 years. Bill served as a Whatcom Land Trust board member from 1995–2003, an impactful era that included the acquisition of the Canyon Lake Creek Ancient Forest. He was a Sandy Point Fire Commissioner from 2015 to his death and was deeply committed to the teen empowerment organization Power of Hope from 1997–2012, for which Bill and Jeanne were founding board chairs and served as camp counselors, with Bill cooking for weekend programs of up to 120 youth and staff. They were named the Whatcom  County Volunteers of the Year in 2002 for bringing PoH to Whatcom County.

Hospitality was core to the Carrolls as they hosted—and Bill cooked for—PoH facilitator trainings, youth groups from Ireland, Jeanne’s women’s retreats and book groups, visiting Buddhist monks, Randy’s soccer teams, years of Carroll Cousin’s Camps (13 nieces, nephews, and grandchildren!), every possible holiday Clan gathering, March birthdays celebrations, board meetings and their annual “Gratitude and Grace” holiday event. He was especially known for his smoked salmon, clam chowder, candied salmon, and caesar salad. The family treasures many, many of his recipes. Bill cooked and shopped for sister Mary Lafond, who lived next door, till her death 2/5/24, as he had done, with his siblings, for all 4 of their parents in their later years.

Bill and Jeanne were founding members, with their dear friend ChaDasSkaDum Whichtalum, of SVFD, the “Spiritual Volunteer Fire Dept.”, a healing prayer circle. Bill did not fear death but believed it was his “next great adventure.” Bill was calm, steady, and intelligent, and loved to laugh. He enjoyed children and animals, and let them “come to him.” He was Jeanne’s greatest champion and supporter. He never missed a grandchild’s game, concert, or play. Bill was loved and he was loving. He is best summed up by niece Margo Arnold (wife of James Lafond Sutter) as a man of “quiet kindness and generosity.”

Bill will be cherished forever in the hearts of his wife/partner Jeanne Lafond Carroll, Neptune Beach; son and “daughter,” Randy and Terri Carroll, Edmonds; grandsons AJ (Alli) Carroll, Mill Creek; Brandon Carroll, Lynnwood; Jon Carroll, Bellingham; granddaughter Emily Carroll, Lynnwood; extra grandson Sam Carlos, Hilo, HI; great grandchildren Maddox, Harper, Paisley, and Novah Carroll; brothers Don (Carole) Carroll, Everett; Brian (Debbie) Carroll, Anacortes; sister Sue Carroll (Rick) Garlock, Mt. Vernon; sisters-in-law Patricia Lafond (John Cleary), Centralia; Kathryn Lafond (George Brooks), Bainbridge Island; brother-in-law Jim Sutter, Neptune Beach and a host of adored friends, god-children, and nieces and nephews.

Donations in Bill’s memory are requested to the Whatcom Community Foundation’s “William and Jeanne Carroll Youth and Families Fund” at 1500 Cornwall Ave., #202, Bellingham, WA 98225 (call for info for online donations to the fund) OR the Sandy Point Firefighters Association, 4332 Sucia Drive, Ferndale, WA. 98248

Weeks before his shocking death, Bill told Jeanne he wanted a green burial. It was held privately 1/9/25. He was a bone, skin, and tissue donor. Bill’s body will continue to nourish the earth as he nourished so many. The Celebration of his Life will be held Saturday 3/1/25 at 1pm at the Bellingham Cruise Terminal, 355 Harris Avenue, Bellingham, WA. No cut flowers, please come with stories to share.