Carol Kowalik Johnson OBITUARY

Carol Kowalik Johnson OBITUARY

A lovely and kind soul, Carol (Kowalik) Johnson had a quiet tenacity to be admired. She loved Chicago and aspired to live in its skyline looking over Lake Michigan and downtown’s bustling streets. She spent a long and fulfilling chapter of her life living that dream, close to many dear friends and family who loved her. Carol passed away peacefully in her little corner of paradise on October 16. She was 81.

Carol was born in Chicago in 1945 and was an ambitious, smart, and independent person. She was a big sister to Al, Jim, Kathy, and Dave, and an amazing aunt to many nieces and nephews. She found ways both large and small to show her loved ones that they were special and important. She had taste and refinement, humility and grace. She loved classical music and the arts. She was fully present with others, empathetic, and sincere.

Carol was passionate about her work as a clinical social worker. Devoted and compassionate, she spent nearly four decades helping children, adolescents, and adults achieve greater emotional health and well-being, including 20 years at Smart Love Family Services. She possessed an extraordinary gift for therapeutic caregiving, bringing genuine warmth and dedication to her work. Carol had a unique way of nurturing her clients’ innate hopes and dreams, helping them discover the possibility of a happier, more fulfilling life. Her clients loved working with her, especially children, who experienced her remarkable ability to understand their minds and hearts and to care for them so deeply that they, in turn, learned to care for themselves.

Carol lived her life on her own terms, with an internal confidence that few hold. She will be greatly missed. Chicago’s cityscape will always remind us of her and the happy memories we shared. Please join us at a celebration of life in the near future.