Carol (Parsons) Chevalier

With incredible sadness, we said good-bye to our mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend Carol Parsons Chevalier on June 8, 2016.  The day broke with a glorious sunrise and Carol took her final breath holding hands with her son John Chevalier of New Hartford and her daughters Mary Chevalier and Susan Wheeler of Goshen.  She was also loved and supported by John’s wife Karen Chevalier and Susan’s husband Mathew Wheeler.
Carol was born on December 12, 1929 in Newburyport Massachusetts to Dorothy Kelly Parsons and George Parsons.  She met and married the love of her life Donald Francis Chevalier who died in 1979.  She then had the arduous task of raising 3 teenagers alone and did an amazing job.  
Her love and passion in this life was animals, mainly Morgan horses and dogs. Much of Carol’s adult life, and certainly her friendships, revolved around her involvement with Gordon Setters. In 1951, while still single and living in Massachusetts, she bought a young Gordon from a respected breeder and dove into the sport of dogs. It was through Gordon Setters that she met Don.  They married and raised their 3 children along with many influential litters of Gordon Setters. The dogs that Carol bred can be found in the pedigrees of Gordons all over the world, and her extended Gordon human family is similarly widespread. Those who were lucky enough to know her have had their lives touched through her support and mentoring. Carol became a professional dog handler, showing her own dogs in the ring, as well as those of other Gordon owners and various other breeds. She and Don ran their dogs in field trials and she was a respected judge in sweepstakes and specialty shows.  Carol was a Charter Member of the TarTan Gordon Setter Club and a member of the Gordon Setter Club of America.  She taught obedience and breed handling, and never missed an opportunity to enlighten those who needed it.  Carol’s impact on Gordon Setters is enduring, and will remain so well into the future.  
Others remember Carol as her years as a driver for the Rural Transit Service in Torrington.  She loved driving the elderly and made life long friends through that route.  For many years at the end of her driving career she loved her “Region 7 Boys” and was both the driver of the Varsity basketball and baseball teams as well as their biggest fan.
And Carol’s pride?  Her family.  She never dreamed she would have so many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.  Her 6 grandchildren, Jennifer  Voss Torsiello and her husband Jason of Harwinton,  John Stankiewicz of Florence Italy,  James and Jaclyn Wheeler of Goshen, Amanda L’Heureux of Goshen and Richard Hackney and his wife Jordan of Hudson Florida, all loved “Nana” and through her each of them developed a deep understanding and love for dogs, cats and all creatures great and small.  Carol was delighted to welcome into her tribe 9 GREAT-grandchildren!  Madison L’Heureux of Goshen, Paxtin Hackney of Florida, Makayla and Madylin Marchetti and Jamison, Molly, Mallory, Mazey and Magnolya Torsiello all of Harwinton.  
A graveside service will be held on Monday, June 13 at 10:30 AM at The New St Francis Cemetery 863 S Main St, Torrington, CT 06790.  
25 years ago Carol rescued her first greyhound and has owned greyhounds ever since.  She is survived by her last rescue, Daisy.  In Carol’s memory, donations can be made to 
CT Greyhound Adoption-www.ctgreyhounds.org/Donate or
CT Greyhounds , PO Box 900, Avon, CT 06001