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Services
Friends may gather with the family for Memorial Visitation at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday October 23, 2016 from 2-4 PM. A Memorial Service will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 4:00 PM.
Carol Torbet Coey, age 61, of Wayne, passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, October 16, 2016.
Carol was born in Ridgewood and had been a life-long resident of Wayne. After graduation from high school, she pursued a career as a dental hygienist and had just begun her profession when her life was permanently altered by the diagnosis of a disorder called Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). This disorder, characterized by the development of benign tumors on her nerves that carry sound and balance information from her inner ear to her brain ultimately lead to complete hearing loss and compromised her balance to a degree that took away her ability to continue in her dental career.
Despite countless surgeries over her many years with NF2, Carol never wanted her family and friends to focus on or define her by her illness. She chose instead to selflessly pour herself into others and she found great strength through her faith in God. She would always say, “God is my anchor” and she prayed a lot – not just for herself but for the needs of others. Carol attended Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park where she liked to study the bible with other women. Her own bible was filled with notes and underlined or highlighted verses that resonated with her intellect and spoke to her heart. She really loved to be in the company of these women because, frankly, it was a lot of fun and it helped her grow in her faith and knowledge of the Bible. This knowledge helped her maintain a healthy perspective on this life – viewing it in the context of eternity and knowing that, as humans, we are only here on earth for a short while and that this life is just a precursor to an eternally perfected life with God and fellow believers. Carol lived to help others know that they also could look forward to this perfect eternal life with Christ.
Because Carol loved sweets (and especially corn muffins and jelly), it’s no great surprise that she really enjoyed baking and sharing recipes. She learned a lot about baking from her own mother and grandmother. She laughed though that, as good as she was at making delicious treats, she never was able to copy her grandmother’s rice pudding recipe to perfection. Her sugar cookies were the best though, as many could testify to since she was always giving them away as gifts. Growing up, her son John would give those cookies and other baked goods to his teachers who loved them so much, they were always asking him to get his mother’s recipes.
Carol always got excited in late fall to participate in an endeavor called Operation Christmas Child, a wonderful effort by an organization called Samaritan’s Purse, to bring happiness to children at Christmas. The program is best described on the organizations website, basically as follows:
People like Carol pack shoebox gifts each year to bless children in need around the world. Carol prepared her Christmas gift boxes, then sent them to where volunteers served to prepare the shoeboxes for shipping to children in more than 100 countries. Every hour work stops for a few minutes to pray for the children who receive the boxes. Pastors around the world host shoebox distributions in places where people may not know Christ. Other churches use the boxes as resources for outreach in orphanages and other at-risk areas. In many places a booklet called “The Greatest Gift” a Gospel story is given to shoebox recipients too. Families are reached, churches grow, new churches are started, and communities are transformed.
Carol didn’t have lots of money to participate in Operation Christmas child but she did what she could and it made her so happy to be a blessing!
In her quiet, good-hearted way, Carol lived a life of thanks. She thanked God for the little blessing like never losing her sense of sight – another potential symptom of NF2, and she was grateful for big blessing too – blessing like the love of family, friends, her church family, her many caring doctors, and a clear, purpose-driven life.
The following verse from God’s word, the Holy Bible was very dear to her:
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Psalm 28:7
Carol is survived by her dear son John of Haskell, one sister: Diane and husband Ken Platt of Wayne; one brother Robert and wife Pat Torbet of Haledon; two nieces and two nephews: Michael and wife Kaitlin Platt, Megan Platt, Janelle and husband Mike Westerveld, and Raymond Torbet; uncles and aunts: Rev. Alfred and Lois Pinkerton of VA, and Robert and Lynne Westra of NC; and step-parents: Grace Torbet of Jekyll Island, GA, and Dr. Dirk Zwiebel of Charlotte, NC. She was predeceased by her father, Robert Torbet and her mother, Alberta Zwiebel.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Carol’s name are asked to consider the Department of Neurological Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Checks can be made payable to “The Trustees of Columbia University” and sent to Matt Reals, Office of Development, 516 West 168th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10032. Or donations can be made online at https://giving.columbia.edu/giveonline/?schoolstyle=500. Please indicate that the gift is for the “Department of Neurological Surgery” in the “Comments/Special Instructions” section of the form. Alternatively, donations can be made to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607, or visit Carol’s online memorial page at www.samaritanspurse.org where you can donate to Operation Christmas Child.
If you would like to send a private condolence directly to the family use this condolence section.
Friends may gather with the family for Memorial Visitation at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday October 23, 2016 from 2-4 PM. A Memorial Service will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 4:00 PM.
Services
Friends may gather with the family for Memorial Visitation at the Vander May Wayne Colonial Funeral Home, 567 Ratzer Road, Wayne, on Sunday October 23, 2016 from 2-4 PM. A Memorial Service will immediately follow visitation and begin in the funeral home at 4:00 PM.
Carol Torbet Coey, age 61, of Wayne, passed peacefully into the arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Sunday, October 16, 2016.
Carol was born in Ridgewood and had been a life-long resident of Wayne. After graduation from high school, she pursued a career as a dental hygienist and had just begun her profession when her life was permanently altered by the diagnosis of a disorder called Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). This disorder, characterized by the development of benign tumors on her nerves that carry sound and balance information from her inner ear to her brain ultimately lead to complete hearing loss and compromised her balance to a degree that took away her ability to continue in her dental career.
Despite countless surgeries over her many years with NF2, Carol never wanted her family and friends to focus on or define her by her illness. She chose instead to selflessly pour herself into others and she found great strength through her faith in God. She would always say, “God is my anchor” and she prayed a lot – not just for herself but for the needs of others. Carol attended Jacksonville Chapel in Lincoln Park where she liked to study the bible with other women. Her own bible was filled with notes and underlined or highlighted verses that resonated with her intellect and spoke to her heart. She really loved to be in the company of these women because, frankly, it was a lot of fun and it helped her grow in her faith and knowledge of the Bible. This knowledge helped her maintain a healthy perspective on this life – viewing it in the context of eternity and knowing that, as humans, we are only here on earth for a short while and that this life is just a precursor to an eternally perfected life with God and fellow believers. Carol lived to help others know that they also could look forward to this perfect eternal life with Christ.
Because Carol loved sweets (and especially corn muffins and jelly), it’s no great surprise that she really enjoyed baking and sharing recipes. She learned a lot about baking from her own mother and grandmother. She laughed though that, as good as she was at making delicious treats, she never was able to copy her grandmother’s rice pudding recipe to perfection. Her sugar cookies were the best though, as many could testify to since she was always giving them away as gifts. Growing up, her son John would give those cookies and other baked goods to his teachers who loved them so much, they were always asking him to get his mother’s recipes.
Carol always got excited in late fall to participate in an endeavor called Operation Christmas Child, a wonderful effort by an organization called Samaritan’s Purse, to bring happiness to children at Christmas. The program is best described on the organizations website, basically as follows:
People like Carol pack shoebox gifts each year to bless children in need around the world. Carol prepared her Christmas gift boxes, then sent them to where volunteers served to prepare the shoeboxes for shipping to children in more than 100 countries. Every hour work stops for a few minutes to pray for the children who receive the boxes. Pastors around the world host shoebox distributions in places where people may not know Christ. Other churches use the boxes as resources for outreach in orphanages and other at-risk areas. In many places a booklet called “The Greatest Gift” a Gospel story is given to shoebox recipients too. Families are reached, churches grow, new churches are started, and communities are transformed.
Carol didn’t have lots of money to participate in Operation Christmas child but she did what she could and it made her so happy to be a blessing!
In her quiet, good-hearted way, Carol lived a life of thanks. She thanked God for the little blessing like never losing her sense of sight – another potential symptom of NF2, and she was grateful for big blessing too – blessing like the love of family, friends, her church family, her many caring doctors, and a clear, purpose-driven life.
The following verse from God’s word, the Holy Bible was very dear to her:
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to Him in song.
Psalm 28:7
Carol is survived by her dear son John of Haskell, one sister: Diane and husband Ken Platt of Wayne; one brother Robert and wife Pat Torbet of Haledon; two nieces and two nephews: Michael and wife Kaitlin Platt, Megan Platt, Janelle and husband Mike Westerveld, and Raymond Torbet; uncles and aunts: Rev. Alfred and Lois Pinkerton of VA, and Robert and Lynne Westra of NC; and step-parents: Grace Torbet of Jekyll Island, GA, and Dr. Dirk Zwiebel of Charlotte, NC. She was predeceased by her father, Robert Torbet and her mother, Alberta Zwiebel.
In lieu of flowers, those planning an expression of sympathy in Carol’s name are asked to consider the Department of Neurological Surgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Checks can be made payable to “The Trustees of Columbia University” and sent to Matt Reals, Office of Development, 516 West 168th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10032. Or donations can be made online at https://giving.columbia.edu/giveonline/?schoolstyle=500. Please indicate that the gift is for the “Department of Neurological Surgery” in the “Comments/Special Instructions” section of the form. Alternatively, donations can be made to Samaritan’s Purse, PO Box 3000, Boone, NC 28607, or visit Carol’s online memorial page at www.samaritanspurse.org where you can donate to Operation Christmas Child.
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