Carol Dibrell, beloved mother, grandmother, friend and sister, died peacefully on September 15 at age 79.

Born Carol Barnett as the second of three children on December 20, 1946, she grew up on Air Force bases in Ohio, Missouri, New Mexico and other locations where her father Clyde served. They settled in Lexington, Massachusetts, where Carol met Tom Petrie at the high school bus stop. She married him upon his graduation from West Point in 1967 and earned a degree in philosophy from Wellesley College three years later.

Carol and Tom nurtured deep family roots in the rustic community of Bustins Island, Maine, where they joined Carol’s sister Lynn and brother Jackson in the summertime. They provided their children Kevin and David with many memories of bare feet, sunshine and fun with cousins Brian and Ali. When Lynn contracted cancer, Carol welcomed them all into her home for her recovery. Three-year-old Brian called Carol “Cookie” and the nickname stuck for the next fifty years.

Carol transformed into a rancher upon moving to Colorado with her family in 1980. She started horseback riding and built a ranch in South Park, where her boys learned to explore the wilderness, brand cattle and appreciate beautiful views of nature. She also taught them to use good grammar and remove the word “like” from their vocabularies. A self-described “nurturer,” Carol showered her loved ones with quilts, Christmas chocolate balls, fudge, chocolate pie, and very fattening cheesecake.

A new Colorado chapter started in 1996 when Carol and her second husband Syd moved to the small mountain community of Collbran. Carol became “Grandma Carol” long before she had grandchildren of her own, for example by volunteering to hold preemie babies at

the local hospital. Widowed in 2005, she lived strong on her ranch for nearly two decades. During this period Carol traveled to India, China, Greece, England, and Peru. She hosted her close friends for visits every Monday for two decades.

Carol was diagnosed with a rare muscle condition in 2021 and fought it by exercising daily for years. She accepted her final chapter with grace and smiled the moment before she died. Carol is survived by her brother Jackson and two generations of offspring, including her grandchildren Hayden, Reid, Garrett and Syd. She leaves behind many beautiful hand-stitched quilts and a loving voice that we will hear for years to come.

A celebration of life service will be held November 8, 2026 at 3:00 pm at the Molina Baptist Church (53039 Ke Rd, Molina, CO 81646).

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to HopeWest Plateau Valley, 3090 N 12th St, Ste B, Grand Junction, CO 81506