Carol Rachael Allsop Pedler

On January 12, 1952, Carol Rachael was born the fifth of Joseph and Eltina’s 10 children. She almost didn’t make it. The doctors told her mother, our mother, to “Go get a casket,” in other words, give up hope on this sickly, struggling child. But Eltina would have none of it, and through prayers, hope, and loving nurture, Carol survived. Until the age of seven, Carol was small—skinny, rather—and sickly, which allowed her to “get away with murder” as some of her older siblings complained. But then, she began to thrive and grow up to become the livewire we all knew and loved. Carol attended the Dundonald Street SDA primary school, before going to Escallier EC Primary School when the family moved to Gonzales. Later, she would attend Progressive High School. Carol began to distinguish herself as a very good singer from those early days of Primary school. She and Naomi, the two daughters who have been in never-ending competition as to which one most resembles mama, became a well-known duet both at church and on Auntie Kay, the radio talent show that was very popular back in those days. Legend has it that while they were singing O Holy Night, when they got to Fall on your knees, Carol got down on her knees in dramatic fashion, hands upraised in earnest entreaty. Of course, they won. But that isn’t all: She entered and won, the school’s Calypso contest. Of course, as a Seventh-day Adventist, she wasn’t supposed to be singing calypso in the first place, much less enter a competition. And then, of all the songs she should sing, she chose the Mighty Bomber’s Joan and James, complete with all its innuendo and mischievousness. But that was Carol. She would forge her own identity, walk her path whether you liked it or not. Carol knew what she wanted, and she went after it. Anyway, I can still remember the cup and alarm clock she got as her first-place prize. That clock served the family well—even daddy, who wasn’t at all thrilled at her having entered the competition. Carol’s fame and popularity in the village continued to grow as she also gained a name as a poet. She could recite long, dramatic poems, leaving her audiences—whether at church or school or Mr. Almond’s “Tea Parties”—spellbound. Need I mention that she also won those speech competitions she entered? Carol began to blossom from having been such a scrawny, sickly child as she entered her mid-and late teens. She began to fill out in all the right places, gradually taking on the breathtaking figure that left many a male admirer drooling. Our house was never without some suitor who would come knocking. In fact, many years later, in 1989, she attended the taping of Oprah Winfrey’s first show in New York City. That episode featured many supermodels and they were asked to point out some of the most beautiful women in the audience. And although Carol was sitting way in the back of the studio, they picked her as one of NY’s classics. The same would be repeated when she went to one of the tapings of Regis and Katie Lee and he pointed to her and declared her one of the most beautiful women he had seen. Carol was a practical joker of the highest order. She loved to scare people. For instance, back in the day, people would get up early, way before dawn, to pick up mangoes that had fallen off the tree the night before. Remember, this was back in the day, so there weren’t too many streetlights. It would be light enough to see a figure but dark enough so you couldn’t quite make out who, or what, it was. Carol would dress in a sheet, hide behind the tree or some bush, and as the unsuspecting person was merrily picking up his or her mangoes, AHHHH!!! Cusswords from the frightened mingled with Carol’s uproarious laughter would often pierce the morning stillness. One other prank she played that scarred me forever: She and her partner in crime, Josephine, invited some would-be suitors to the house one evening for dinner. Well, as the two young men waited downstairs in my brother’s tailor shop, laughing and talking and anticipating the tasty meal they would receive, Carol and Josephine came downstairs with a pot of steaming soup, and spoons, plates, and bowls. When the guys opened the pot to dip out the soup, the pots were empty except for a little steaming water. They left immediately while Carol and Josephine had a good belly laugh. When I asked her why they had done that, her reply has stayed with me since then: Never mistake good manners for love. Growing up a Seven Days, as they would refer to us back then, was tough if you wanted to have fun. There were so many school bazaars, outings, neighborhood parties, etc. that you weren’t allowed to go to. But the ultimate NO-NO was Carnival. No self-respecting SDA would play mas. Well, you guessed it: Carol decided she was going to play mas one year, and she really had the time of her life. Well, what was supposed to be a well-kept secret, became front page news. Would you believe Carol’s picture was on every newspaper the next day, and she was caught on TV wining away like there was no tomorrow? Yup. She took her rebuke from my dad, but that didn’t stop her from being a fun-loving, have-a-good-time woman. Carol was a hard worker. Whatever the job she was doing, she committed to it fully. She dabbled in many different jobs. Her working career began as a colporteur, a seller of religious books. She did well enough in that to buy herself a brand-new bike. It was a black Raleigh female bike. Then, when Pyrex ware became the thing, she started selling those. Her enthusiasm was so great for the product while demonstrating its purported unbreakableness, she threw a bowl to the floor with such force, it shattered into a hundred pieces. The customer was so impressed by her earnestness, she got the sale. But, as I said before, that was Carol. If you’re going in, go in. Carol would become only the second female ironworker in the city of New York. She was so proud to hold her own among those rough and tumble, burly men with whom she worked, whether on a skyscraper, or the Brooklyn Bridge. She was a favorite among her coworkers. No matter where she worked, she got along well with her colleagues. And what can I say about her dressing? Carol loved to dress up. She loved to look regal. She especially loved African clothes, those with outstanding headpieces. She wasn’t afraid to try new styles, even those of her own design. Carol had a sense of what looked good on her and she would wear it, especially if it flattered that Coca-Cola figure of hers. She loved her jewelry, Snap-On fingernails, and exotic wigs. There wasn’t a fashion trend that she wouldn’t try if she thought it would look good on her. She knew how to sew, often sewing her own fashionable outfits. She was also into interior decorating and she was thrilled to go house touring. Wherever she went, she would go look at the houses in the area to Wow! And UUU!! Carol was married three times: to Roy, Arthur, and Selwyn, the father of her three surviving children: Saana, who has autism, Selma and Siree. Crenton, her oldest son died in 1999. She loved her children dearly and tried to give them the best that money could buy. She also had the privilege to be around and love her grandchildren. This brings me to perhaps the greatest trait of Carol: She was fiercely devoted to family. Carol was proud of the Allsop name and felt no sacrifice was too big to keep the name flying high. Carol saw herself as a procurator of the Allsop name and honor. Unfortunately, she could also be caustic, brash, intimidating, and harsh in her loving. Many a niece or nephew still carry the scars of some statement Carol, in her zeal to help, unwisely said. But again, that was Carol. She preferred to tell you, in the hope that it would stir you to action, rather than say nothing and see you continue to do that which, in her estimation, would not benefit you. She would not be that person who saw you with spinach stuck between your teeth and acted as though she hadn’t seen anything. But the thing is that just as easily as she would tell you about something you weren’t doing right, she was even more eager to encourage and affirm you when you did. She supported all of her siblings and relatives in their endeavors. Carol was happiest when her family was doing well. In fact, one of her favorite statements was “Any goal scored by a member of the team is one for the team.” For her, if one succeeded, all succeeded and she would do whatever was in her power to make sure that each one succeeded because that would mean the Allsops succeeded. Her money was to help everyone who needed help. Her unstinting support of her family often led to tension in her home with her husband, and sometimes even among her siblings as she could be so intense at times. From the many examples that could be mentioned, I want to showcase this one: When David Jr got in an accident in California, things looked bad. It seemed he wouldn’t survive. From the moment Carol heard that her nephew had been in this terrible accident, she left the Poconos and headed for the West Coast and stayed there for over 3 weeks, visiting the hospital every day, encouraging my brother, helping with whatever she could, and PRAYING. Yes, you heard that correctly, praying. And when the doctors told my brother to pull the plug on his son because there was no hope for him, Carol insisted that prayer would see Prince David Jr through. And his presence here today is testament to the strong prayer life that she had. Which brings me to the climax of this remembrance of our dear, loved mother, sister, aunt, friend. She LOVED to pray. She loved spiritual things. Her most earnest desire was to please God and be right with him. She always felt that her infant life was spared for a purpose: to serve God in a spiritual capacity. So, in pursuit of that spiritual call, Carol became a Spiritual Baptist, a Church of God, an American Baptist, a…but you get the idea., She was not afraid to go to any church for fellowship and the Word. If you were preaching God there, Carol would be there. But through it all, that SDA foundation never got lost. She wasn’t a typical any religion. She had her own mix. Adventists couldn’t stand her because she loved too much jewelry and bling. Baptists couldn’t handle her because she was too energetic for their style. Spiritual Baptists couldn’t hold her because she still believed in the Sabbath; Church of God couldn’t fathom her because while she would speak in tongues sometimes, she never saw it as the ultimate sign of Godliness. But the one thing EVERY church she ever attended could agree on was that she loved to pray, to laugh, to encourage, to sing, to love, to worship with her trademark SEVEN HALLELUJAHS. So Carol, as you rest in peace, we pray that you died realizing that your work follows you; that you were loved; that your Heavenly Father was pleased with you. He knows your name; He understood your every care, and He wouldn’t have wanted you to be any other way. So, from your grieving siblings: John, Ruth, Sam, Naomi, Josephine, George, David, Inskip, Mikey and Lisa, your children: Saana, Selma (Rashique), and Siree (Mariana); your adoring grandchildren: : Luxurie, Love, King Solomon, Kairo, Aviel (or Noah, as she affectionately called him) Ardeem, Kamaila, and Jibarry; your many appreciative nephews and nieces, and ton loads of friends, both in the US and Trinidad, here’s to you: Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah!!!! A visitation will be held Sunday, March 6, 2022, from 2-3 PM at West Wilmington Seventh Day Adventist Church, 3003 Millcreek Rd., Wilmington, DE 19808followed by a service in celebration of Carol’s life at 3 PM. Burial will be private. For directions or to send an online condolence visit www.stranofeeley.com

Carol Rachael Allsop Pedler

January 12, 1952 - February 26, 2022

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