Carol Deane Gill

Carol Deane Gill 101, of Merino, passed away Thursday February 19, 2026.

In honor of Carol's request, there will be no services associated with her passing.

Carol (Pickering) Gill was born on February 8, 1925, in Fairbury, NE to parents Almon A. (Pick) Pickering, and Luree (Blair) Pickering. Carol spent her early years in southeast Nebraska, where her father and uncles worked as carpenters. When Carol was 7, her father accepted a position with the Warren Lumber Company and the family relocated to Merino, CO, where she would spend the rest of her childhood and her family would remain.

While attending Merino High School, Carol met and began dating Otis William (Bill) Gill, a student at the nearby Roosevelt School southwest of Merino. Carol went on to graduate as Valedictorian of the Merino High School class of 1942.

With the onset of World War II, Bill chose to enlist in the Navy in the spring of 1943 at the age of 17. While Bill completed his basic training, Carol continued her education, spending a year at Colorado State Teacher's College (now the University of Northern Colorado) before transferring into the Cadet Nurse Corps program at the University of Colorado, where she earned her certificate as a Registered Nurse and spent time working at Children's Hospital in Denver, CO and in Rochester, MN.

Bill went on to serve aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kadashan Bay in the Pacific Arena. In January of 1945, while participating in action in the Philippines, the Kadashan Bay suffered a hit from a Japanese kamikaze plane which punctured the ship's hull near the water line. Fortunately, the on-board explosives in the kamikaze failed to detonate. After receiving temporary repairs in the Philippines, the Kadashan Bay sailed to San Francisco for major repairs. During this time, Bill was granted a brief leave, and he and Carol were married in Denver, CO in July of 1945. The surrender of Japan came before the repaired ship was involved in further combat engagements.

Following Bill's discharge from the Navy, he and Carol embarked on an adventure to Hawaii, where Bill had received an internship with the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association. There he earned a degree in tropical agronomy from the University of Hawaii and went on to work as an agronomist for the sugarcane plantations on Kauai. Carol, meanwhile, put her nursing skills to work in hospitals on both Oahu and Kauai. During their time in Hawaii, their daughter Ann Marie was born in February of 1951.

In 1952, Carol and Bill returned to Merino to take part in the farming and ranching business with Bill's family. Their son Thomas William was born in November of 1953. For many years Carol was a nurse at the Logan County Hospital in Sterling, CO, and upon retiring, continued her commitment to caring for others as a staff member at Rose Arbor Senior Living Center.

Carol was an active and beloved member of her community. She was engaged in civic life, hosting local caucus events and participating actively in the Merino Methodist church. On the social side, Carol was a longtime member of a bridge card club and a regular at the senior citizen lunches at Merino Elementary School, where she enjoyed the company of friends and neighbors. Carol was also an accomplished seamstress, crocheter, and piano player.

Carol had a passion for sports, and during her retirement years would head to Phoenix, AZ with her sister for Colorado Rockies Spring Training. When she wasn't watching professional teams, you could always find her in the bleachers or on the sidelines, cheering on her grandchildren at their sporting events.

In her quieter moments at home, Carol could often be found solving the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News crossword puzzles or playing a game of solitaire. Her later years were filled with cherished visits with family, often marked by singing songs and reciting her favorite poetry, and this past February her family celebrated her 101st birthday.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Bill, her daughter Ann Gill, and her sisters Raenell (Pickering) Quick and Karen (Pickering) Sullivan. She is survived by her son Tom Gill and his wife Lori; by granddaughters Annika (Gill) Borvansky and her husband Justin, Rebeka (Gill) Wall and her husband Kelly, and Jessika Gill; by grandson Augustus Gill; and by great grandsons Soren Borvansky and Cavan Wall, and great granddaughter Jade Borvansky.

In keeping with Carol's lifelong dedication to helping others, the family has chosen to honor her memories through scholarship contributions to the Buffalo School Foundation. Those wishing to contribute may send donations to:

Buffalo Schools Foundation

ATTN. Carol P. Gill Memorial Scholarship

315 Lee Street

Merino, Colorado. 89741