Carol L. Dorsey

Carol Dorsey, 81, formally of Chippewa Falls, died in Middleton, WI on Friday, September 26, 2025, surrounded in the love of her family.

Carol was born in 1944, the daughter of Winton and Ruth Marie Schumaker. Carol attended Appleton High School and graduated in 1962. Following high school, she attended and graduated college from Carroll College in 1966 with a B.A. degree in Sociology and a minor in Religion. During college Carol took a couple of summer classes at UW-Eau Claire. As she often said the best part of summer school, was being set up on a blind date with David Dorsey whom ultimately, she would marry and spend her next 47 years together with. Following graduation, she moved to Saginaw, Michigan and began her career in Social Work. After a couple of years in Michigan and being apart from David, she returned to Wisconsin where she and David were married in 1970. She continued her social work career working as an adoption social worker in Eau Claire which she found extremely rewarding. After they married, she moved to Chippewa Falls and lived there for the next thirty-nine years before moving to Middleton, WI. She and David devoted their lives to each other and their family.

Carol was a caregiver at her core. Her family always came first even in the last days of her life. When Carol wasn’t doing something with or for her family, she also enjoyed being the Chippewa Falls YMCA head swim coach for many years, refereeing swim meets, and volunteering at her children’s schools. She was an active member of the Chippewa Falls Jaycettes and served as the local president for two years during which time the local Jaycees and Jaycettes completed the Chippewa Fountain across from Leinenkugel’s in 1976 . After her move to Middleton, she also volunteered and worked many elections as a poll worker.

Travel was very important to Carol. Rarely was there a summer that she did not spend time at the family cabin on Lake Archibald. While there, she enjoyed fishing, sunset boat cruising, watching the eagles and loons, playing games past midnight, and most importantly seeing her parents, brother Paul (Lynn), and sister Ellen (Jim) and their families. After retirement she went on two once in a lifetime trips, to the French Polynesian Islands of the South Pacific and to the Baltic region of Europe and Russia. As Carol got older, she also became more adventurous and even took her sister Ellen’s suggestion and paraglided in Hawaii!

In more recent years, Carol continued to fill her time mostly with her family. She was a very busy grandmother watching her grandchildren (Mason, Morgan, Norah, Marijke, and Annika). She took every chance she could to cheer them on at a baseball game, swim meet, or dance recital. She also loved playing games like Rummikub, the Book Game, and Ticket to Ride with her grandchildren. If she was not with her grandchildren, Carol could be found tending to her gardens and indoor plants.

Carol is survived by her two children, Caleb (Gloria) and Alexis (Joe), and 5 grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, David, and her parents.

A small graveside for the family is being planned for a future date.