(December 8, 1935 to January 31, 2026)
Carol Carraro Greer, 90, of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, passed away peacefully on January 31st, surrounded by her family in Bentonville, Arkansas.
Carol lived a full life in every sense of the word, and was an amazing human being. She was born in Chicago on December 8, 1935, to Joseph and Rosella Carraro. She was raised in an Italian neighborhood in the Kensington area. Even though she was born during the Great Depression, she had an idyllic childhood – she was surrounded by loving parents; doting younger siblings; countless cousins, aunts, and uncles; and a neighborhood that was their playground. She graduated from Fenger High School and later attended Northern Illinois University, leaving school early to pursue a career as a flight attendant with Trans World Airlines (TWA).
Her TWA employment allowed her to travel widely and experience much of the world. She lived in Chicago and New York City before settling in the Los Angeles area in 1962. There, she met Vern Greer, whom she later married. The couple made their home in Manhattan Beach, California, and traveled frequently. Within a three-year period, Carol and Vern went on three African safaris and also traveled to Trinidad and Tobago, Fiji, Israel, Rome, and Athens.
In time, the allure of Southern California gave way to a desire for a simpler life, and she and Vern decided to move to a quieter community, where they could start a business and raise a family. They settled in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, nestled in the Ozark Mountains. Carol immediately fell in love with the Victorian-era village on her first visit, and the couple moved there in 1971. Eureka Springs would remain her home for more than 54 years, until her passing.
Carol and Vern went into real estate and eventually started their own company, Greer Real Estate, which they operated together until their divorce in 1992. After that, Carol worked in the loan department of the Bank of Eureka Springs, later Cornerstone Bank, until her retirement.
The predominant legacy of Carol’s life is the love she shared with others. She was as selfless a person as one could find, always placing the needs of others before her own. For her friends and family, she showed this love through unfailing kindness and devotion; she was as solid as they come, and was always there to listen and lend a helping hand (perhaps with a couple opinions thrown in too).
She deeply loved Eureka Springs – especially its people and its beauty – and devoted countless hours to the town through volunteer service, always striving to make it a better place. She served in leadership roles with the Historic Preservation Society, the Historic District Commission, the Chamber of Commerce, the Van Pelt Committee, the Athletic Booster Club, the committee that built the track, the Beta Sigma Phi society, and the town’s historical museum.
Carol was also a die-hard Chicago Cubs fan. She watched literally thousands of their games on television, and attended dozens in person at Wrigley Field. She faithfully endured the team’s highs and lows (mostly lows) for decades, a devotion that was ultimately rewarded when the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016 (with her son in attendance), and with a trip to spring training at the age of 87.
When not watching sports, Carol also loved reading and cooking Italian food in her family’s tradition, traits that she passed down to her children and grandchildren.
Most of all, Carol loved her family. She was an amazing daughter to her parents, Joseph and Rosella; a lifelong friend to her sister, Joe Ann; a tireless caretaker for her brother, John; and an inspiring role model to her nieces, Jo-El and Peggy.
Above all else, she was an extraordinary parent and grandparent – the best one could ever ask for. She lived her life for her children, for their spouses (whom she treated as her own children), and for her beloved grandchildren, who called her “Nonna.” She was always there for them; she sacrificed for them, nurtured them, comforted them, and inspired them. She was their rock, and their hero.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Rosella Carraro; her brother, John Carraro; her brother-in-law, Richard Weber; her son-in-law, Michael Drennon; her niece’s husband, Bob Bottelli; and her former husband, Vern Greer. She is survived by her children, Gina Rambo (Brian) and Brian Greer (Kris); her grandchildren, Avery and Carter Drennon, and Isla and Parker Greer; her sister, Joe Ann Weber; and her nieces, Jo-El Quinlan and Peggy Quinlan-Gee.
A celebration of Carol’s life will be held in Eureka Springs at 10:00 a.m. on April 3, 2026, at Nelson’s Chapel of the Springs.
In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to the Eureka Springs Historical Museum, which preserves the history of the town she loved so dearly. Donations will fund an exhibit in her memory. https://eurekaspringshistoricalmuseum.org/2022/donate/. Arrangements are under the direction of Nelsons Funeral Service. Online condolences may be sent to nelsonfuneral.com. © Nelson Funeral Service, Inc. 2026.
