Carol Anne Passarella, nee Mihalovich, age 76, beloved wife of Martin Passarella; loving mother of Dawn (Hugo) Teixeira; dear grandmother of Logan Passarella Teixeira; cherished sister of the late Mathew (Holly) Mihalovich; dearest aunt of Deborah Gutowsky and Michael Mihalovich; fond great-aunt of Katelyn and Alex Gutowsky, and Cameron Mihalovich; dear friend of Diana Madison.
Carol was a long-time resident of Niles and she was extremely proud of her yard and garden.  Every summer she planted marigold and canna lily flowers as well as tomato and basil plants, which she generously shared with others.  Carol loved to cook and those who knew her loved her Italian dishes as well as her delicious kolacky cookies, which she made every holiday season.  Some of Carol's favorite foods were pasta, nachos with guacamole and mint chocolate chip ice cream from Baskin Robbins.  Carol was never an avid traveler but she took great pleasure in the few trips she made with her family, especially those to Italy and Aruba.
Carol fully lived her life as a "love-thy-neighbor" individual and not only did she not speak negatively of others but those who knew her never had anything negative to say about her either.  She was consistently described as loving, kind, generous and many would categorize her as a "saint".  She was the kind of woman who remembered everyone on special occasions, and she not only enjoyed sending special gifts to remember those moments but she also took pleasure in sending random cards and gifts "just because".
Carol will be remembered as a selfless wife of 53 years, and a devoted mother, grandmother and friend who always had a smile, even when times were tough.  Having lived a life with cerebral palsy, Carol had a quiet strength, which accompanied her after her cancer diagnosis just 2 months ago.
"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." - Matthew 5:4

Visitation at the Skaja Terrace Funeral Home 7812 N. Milwaukee Ave. Niles on Friday from 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Funeral Saturday 10:15 AM to St. John Brebeuf Church Mass 11:00 AM. Interment St. Adalbert Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care 1550 Bishop Ct. Mount Prospect , IL 60056 appreciated. Funeral info: 847-966-7302.