Carol Tomtishen Obituary

Carol Mae Tomtishen (nee Rickert), passed away on July 13, 2025. She was a resident of the Mt. Clemens area for all of her 99+ years.
Carol Rickert was married to John "Jack" Tomtishen, the love of her life, at St. Louis Catholic Church in Mt. Clemens on October 11, 1947. They were married for 73 years until his death in 2021. She is survived by her children, Terry Vance, Brad Tomtishen (Lynda Oswald), Jill Ross-Blair, Jack Tomtishen, and Kyle Stark (Steven). Terry's husband, Tim Vance, and Jill's husband, Rhys Blair, predeceased her. She is also survived by 17 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren. She bore the pain of losing two grandsons – Duncan Blair and James Stark – who also predeceased her.
Carol was born on April 30, 1926, in Mt. Clemens, Michigan, eldest of four children of Frederick and Lorain Rickert. Herparents and her brothers Ray and Rollin ("Tiny") predeceased her. She is survived by her sister Linda Hurst, who was born when Carol was a senior in high school and has always looked up to her big sister. She is also survived by Ray's wife, Joyce Rickert.
Carol met Jack while working at Case Manufacturing. She had also worked at the Packard Motor Car Company but, after Terry was born, her family was her career and her life's work.
Carol was the matriarch of a large and loving family that included not only her own children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren but the families of the many Rickert and Hurst nieces and nephews who loved their Aunt Carol. She was the rock that anchored the family. She always knew the right thing to do and expected it to be done, but she was also whimsical enough to name their twins Jack and Jill and to joke about her own age and death. She was secretly proud of her affectionate nickname of "the warden" earned for keeping a careful eye on her teen children's activities and was not shy about providing a little direction to the Rickert boys.
Carol was completely reliable in a crisis. She nursed her parents through illness and death. She supported her husband through the twists and turns of his career, including his pursuit of the dream job of professional baseball player and the time he quit his job with no alternative and four children under four years of age at home. She was a source of strength to her nieces and nephews after the deaths of their parents.
Carol loved playing cards, especially bridge, pinochle, and euchre. She and Jack were members of several bridge clubs and often played with friends. Family card games were legendary and included an annual euchre tournament at Christmas time and extended sessions during family trips to Florida. Those games contributed to her sharp mind, which allowed her to live in her own home independently until her death. In fact, at the age of 98, she was the champion of the 2024 Christmas euchre tournament.
Carol's faith was strong, and she said her rosary daily, often sitting in the sun on her back deck. She was a former member of St. Louis Catholic Church, and a member of St. Peter Catholic Church in Mt. Clemens. After a long life well-lived, she has gone to eternal life with the Lord.
In lieu of flowers, please donate to your favorite charity or a charity that supports children with autism.
Visitation will be held in the Harold W. Vick Funeral Home, 140 South Main Street, Mt. Clemens on Wednesday, July 16, 2025 from 2:00-8:00pm with a rosary service held at 7:00. A funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, July 17, 2025 at St. Peter Catholic Church, 95 Market Street, Mt. Clemens at 11:30am, with family and friends welcomed at 11:00. Carol will be laid to rest next to her husband at Clinton Grove Cemetery, Clinton Twp immediately following funeral services.
Share memories with the family at www.vickfuneralhome.com
"I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die." (John 11:25-26)
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