Obituary: Carol Hinson, 1950-2023

Carol Dawn Hinson died at her home on the morning of Monday, February 13, 2023.

Being born in Los Angeles in April 1950 would forever imprint Carol as a Southern California girl, irrespective of her physical location on our planet. While the California school system provided a formal education, Huntington Beach lifeguard tower #3 was her favorite place to hang.

Carol’s travel bug was kindled on an impulsive, six-month trip to Hawai’i immediately after high school. This was followed by a cross-country-and-back trip to Boston in a 1960s-era VW bug (with her dog Hotshot, a spirited dalmatian-Lab mix), followed by a trip to Germany a short time later. Having sewed from a young age, Carol confidently talked her way into a job at a German tailor shop on a U.S. military base. It was in Germany where Carol met Bill, who was temporarily working for his rich Uncle, Sam.

In 1974, Carol returned with Bill to Burlington, where she again leveraged her sewing prowess (“Hello? I worked in a German tailor shop.”) to land a job making leather vests and jackets at the Company Store on lower Church Street, and later for Sundance Leather. After creating literally thousands of leather garments, Carol decided to attend Champlain College. With a degree in accounting in hand, Carol pivoted again and determined her next profession would be as a Realtor. For the next 39 years, Carol was in her element, mentally crunching projected mortgage payments, meeting countless new people and assisting them with the largest purchase they were ever going to make.

Carol was so much more than real estate. She was a past member of Zonta, an international women’s organization, and also served as the local chapter’s president.

Carol was the engine behind the Sunday Soup Kitchen run out of the Sarah Holbrook Center from 1984 to 1989.

Carol was involved from the beginning in establishing the Ronald McDonald House in Burlington and served that organization for 39 years in various capacities, from board and committee member to Thursday afternoon volunteer to making Christmas dinner for many years to washing mountains of dirty dishes. If it needed doing, Carol was there doing it.

More recently, while Carol continued as a Realtor, she branched into coaching other Realtors to perform at their best. As was Carol, sometimes her real estate coaching swelled to involve life coaching.

In whatever endeavor she chose, Carol left numerous new friendships in her wake. Carol had her opinions, was confident in them and was not timid in sharing hers if she thought you lacked one of your own.

From almost the time Carol moved to Vermont, Starr Farm Beach became Carol’s special summer place. After she and Bill bought a camp there in 1985, Starr Farm became another of Carol’s passions. From spearheading the organizing of an event to the in-the-trenches execution, whether it be a bocce or tennis tournament, a 4th of July parade, or a community dinner, Carol was involved. Delegation was never Carol’s strong suit.

Fate broke Carol’s stride on August 13, 2022, when she was diagnosed with glioblastoma. The last six months were mostly painless and a time of reflection of a life well lived, albeit for too short a time, even at 72. There were always things yet to do.

Carol is survived by her husband, Bill Parkhill, of Burlington; a sister, Laurie McGrath, also of Burlington; a brother, Bill, and his wife, Jeannie, of Nampa, Idaho; and a brother, Cliff, and his wife, Margie, of Colorado.

Though she had no children of her own, Carol never met a child she didn’t love. She accumulated godchildren like some people collect knickknacks. Carol leaves eight godchildren, some official, some not.

Carol was predeceased by her parents, Reid and Bernice Hinson, of Southern California.

A celebration of Carol’s life is planned for late spring or early summer 2023.

This article appears in Feb 15-21, 2023.