5/14/1965 – 9/21/2026
Lawrence
A Celebration of Life for Carol Aydelott, 61, of Lawrence, KS, will be held 11 a.m.- 2 p.m. October 28, 2026, at Arterra. Carol passed away on September 21, 2026, at her residence in Lawrence.
Carol was born in Owatonna, MN, the daughter of Vincent and Delores (Severtson) Schumacher. Her husband of 25 years, Edward Aydelott, survives her. Other survivors include her mother, Delores Catel; son, Joe Katsaris; stepdaughter, Amanda (Jake) Cravens; siblings, Dave (Jane) Rasmussen, Kevin (Myrtelisa) Schumacher, and Paula (Linda Gwaltney) Schumacher; and aunt, Deanne Thorson. Carol was preceded in death by her father, Vincent Schumacher, and brothers, Douglas and Danny Rasmussen.
Carol grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Northern Michigan, the youngest of six children. From early on, she was energetic and full of love. She loved her summers as a camp counselor at Bay Cliff Health Camp for youth with disabilities, where she learned sign language and more camp songs than anyone could count.
She attended Northern Michigan University, taking classes in business and the culinary arts. She turned down opportunities to move to New York and further develop her culinary skills, instead following her mother west. Carol later had her son, Joe, her greatest treasure, and eventually met Ed, her greatest love, in Phoenix, Arizona.
Carol joined McCarthy Building Companies, where she worked for 25 years as a senior administrative assistant. Her organizational skills and genuine care for her coworkers made an impact across more than 50 projects. She became a go-to person for training others, solving problems, and finding the project details everyone needed.
In 2018, Carol, Ed, and Ginger (their dachshund) escaped the desert heat and moved to Lawrence to be closer to family. Their circle of friends and love for their new home grew rapidly.
Carol was a creative soul. She loved improving her home, making bear and blanket sets for newborns, wood sculpting, felting, and exploring new crafts. Her photography captured the beauty she saw in the world around her.
Above all, Carol cared deeply for the people in her life. She was someone you could turn to for an answer, whether the question was about finances, family, work, or life itself. She believed in being transparent and telling the truth, even when the truth wasn’t necessarily the easiest answer to hear. She researched, learned, and shared what she knew because she wanted the people she loved to understand the real world as it was—not a version of it with guardrails. For her son, Joe, that honesty, guidance, and willingness to share the lessons of her own life were among the greatest gifts she gave him.
Carol will be deeply missed, but the lessons she taught, the things she created, the photographs she took, the people she helped, and the love she gave will remain with those who knew her.
Memorial contributions in Carol’s name may be made to a battered woman’s shelter or charitable organization of your choice in lieu of flowers. For more information or to post a condolence, please visit facebook.com/carol.aydelott.
Note: The Lawrence Times is offering Lawrence and Douglas County community members space to publish remembrances of loved ones who lived in this community, free of charge. These pieces are submitted by family and friends of the deceased and not written by our staff. Photos are also provided to the publication, and some may have been altered prior to submission. Read more obituaries here.
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