Carol Donnell
Carol Donnell's gift: Seeing potential in others
Carol Maree
Donnell died
June 7, 2005, at
her home after a
2½-year battle
with GIST. A
resident of
Auckland, New
Zealand, she
helped advanced
cancer research
by participating
in an Australian
trial of the
Pfizer drug
Sutent. Carol
was born June 6,
1957 in
Auckland, the
second daughter
of Pat and Phil.
She was
exceptional at
sports and would
develop into a
top badminton,
squash and
tennis player.
Her first
marriage at 18
was blessed with
two sons,
Paul and Mark.
When her
marriage ended,
she went through
a lonely and
difficult time.
Carol met Roger
when he was
transferred to
the bank where
she worked. If
it wasn’t love
at first sight
it was pretty
close; they were
married 10
months later in
November 1987.
Roger introduced
Carol to God and
they started
attending
Northwest
Baptist Church
in 1992. Shy by
nature, Carol’s
desire to serve
God was stronger
than her
timidity. She
started off by
helping in the
Sunday school
and ended up
leading music at
the church,
singing in front
of up to 300
children a week
and their
parents and
caregivers.
“Carol loved
what she did and
she genuinely
cared for the
children and
their families
and her
helpers,” said
Debbie, Carol’s
friend of 13
years, at her
funeral. “She
encouraged
others to
develop their
gifts of
service. too.
“My four oldest
children each
had very
important tasks
as helpers. It
didn’t matter
how small the
job was -- a
4-year-old
handing out
lollipops, a 12-
year-old who
laid out the
biscuits and
dried dishes, a
10-year-old who
did the overhead
and music and an
8-year-old who
handed out the
drinks. All were
made to feel
that they had a
very important
part to play in
the running of
the session.
“You see,
Carol’s greatest
gift wasn’t
singing or
dancing. It was
encouragement.
It was the
ability to make
people feel
important and
special and
loved. Carol saw
the potential in
people and
helped them
reach that
potential. She
had the ability
to make people
believe in
themselves.” In
March 2004 Carol
spoke at her
church, talking
frankly about
her cancer. She
told how she
gained strength
from the story
of Shadrach,
Meshach and
Abednego from
the book of
Daniel, how they
refused to
worship a statue
and were
threatened with
being thrown
into a blazing
furnace. They
responded by
saying their God
could save them
from the fiery
furnace. But
even it He
didn’t, they
told the king
they would not
worship the
golden image.
“For me,” Carol
said, “cancer is
like being
thrown in the
furnace. Most of
the time I can
feel God’s arms
around me and I
can’t feel the
flames. But
sometimes, I do
feel the flames
of grief and
despair and
sadness. “I know
God can heal me,
and if that
happens, praise
Him, but if He
chooses to take
me to heaven,
where I will be
healed, He is
still my God.”
She was the
wonderful and
loving wife of
Roger, and a
caring mum to
Paul, Mark,
Rebecca and
Aimee-Rose; a
treasured sister
to Jenny,
Rosemary, Jane
and Andrea;
sister-in-law of
Len, Bryan, Dave
and Jason, loved
aunty of Sarah,
Sam, Frazer,
Max, Ben and
Oliver, dearly
loved daughter
of Pat and Roy.
Roger says Carol
left behind a
memories book
for each
daughter with
photos and her
memories of what
each photo meant
to her. “Carol
also left a book
to each girl in
which she had
written her
favorite Bible
verses, quotes
and poems, and
another book in
which she had
written the
girls’ favorite
recipes.”
Services were
held June 10 at
Te Atatu Baptist
Church in
Auckland.
