Carol M. Cain

CAIN, PENTON, GAUDINEER, HOSIER, CERMAK, MONTGOMERY

Posted By: Tara (email)
Date: 12/14/2009 at 12:09:46

Carol M. Cain, 65, of Iowa City, Iowa passed away Thursday December 10, 2009 after a courageous battle with lung cancer. A memorial gathering for Carol will be held from 4-8 pm on Tuesday December 15th, 2009 at Lensing Funeral Home, 605 Kirkwood Avenue, Iowa City. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Iowa City Hospice.
Carol was born November 27, 1944 in Des Moines, Iowa to Maxine (Penton) Gaudineer and Russell Gaudineer. She had one older sister, Annette, and one younger brother, Steve. They relocated to Iowa City when Carol was in 2nd grade, attending Iowa City schools and graduating from Iowa City High School in 1962. She met Mike when they were 15. Carol married Michael Cain on February 21, 1966 at Old Brick in Iowa City. They had one daughter, Lisa, in 1968. Carol graduated from University of Iowa in 1987.
Carol worked for over 30 years at The University of Iowa in many administrative and secretarial positions, including the Iowa Library, College of Nursing, Academic Affairs and UI College of Family Medicine before retiring in 2002. She was a highly respected professional and exceptional colleague. Carol has made wonderful friends throughout her years at UI and treasured all the time she was able to spend with them. She was an avid Hawkeye fan, spending many years tailgating and attending Iowa football games as a season ticketholder for 34 years and also was a season ticketholder for the Iowa Women’s Basketball team.
Carol loved traveling the country, enjoying a relaxing year long sabbatical around the US in a motor home with Mike. They both loved the Oregon coast and many other special places known only to them. Carol loved gardening and garden tours with friends. She loved getting together for the Essex Street parties. She especially loved decorating her home for all holidays, 4th of July, Halloween and Christmas, attending thieves markets and the Iowa Arts Festival, Saturday morning trips to the Farmers Market, gambling anywhere and everywhere, and shopping trips to Kalona and Amana with family and friends. She enjoyed many memorable ‘Friday nights with the girls’--Carol, Jane, Phyllis and Ruth, getting together nearly every Friday night since their 40th birthdays. These special friends were so very important to Carol.
Carol cherished her family and made them her priority. She enjoyed holidays with the Cermaks. She loved spending special time with her sister Annette, whom she loved dearly. Carol was supporting and loving of her daughter Lisa in all her endeavors and also to granddaughter Amelia. Being a Grandma was truly the most important role of Carol’s life. She cherished Amelia, enjoying music, musicals and movies, dancing to the Divas in dancing dresses, creating art projects and supporting Amelia during soccer, softball, dance and band. Carol and Mike were members of Amelia’s Girl Scout Troop for several years. Carol had a wonderful laugh, a warm smile, loved cookies and milk, Cheerios and bananas and peanut butter toast, napping and snuggling with her kitties at home, Henry, Hazel and Sasha. She made every day with her family more special and she will be missed more than she could ever know.
Carol is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, Mike Cain, daughter Lisa Cain, granddaughter Amelia Cain, all of Iowa City; one sister Annette Hosier and husband Jerald Hosier of Collierville, TN; step-mother Marilyn Cermak and husband Joe of Iowa City, several nieces and nephews, extended family and wonderful loving friends. She was preceded in death by her mother, step-father Jay Montgomery, father and one brother, Steven.