Carol Leslie

April 4, 1925 - April 1, 2022

Symphonies abound, choirs rejoice, and piano solos spiral throughout the clouds as a new song rings throughout heaven. Ruby Carol Haskin, daughter of Frank Leslie Haskin and Ruby Mildred Haskin, was born April 4, 1925 in McMinnville, Oregon. Carol had one older brother, Eugene Francis “Gene” Haskin. Carol Leslie passed away on April 1, 2022 just 3 days shy of her 97th birthday at home surrounded by family in Newberg, Oregon. When just a few weeks old, Carol’s father moved their family back to his homestead in Dundee, Oregon where he took over the farm from his aging grandmother. As a small child, Carol spent much time with her great-grandmother exploring the woods, searching for lady slippers and fairy moss. As a toddler, Carol’s father joined his brother in the fox farming business. The Dundee farm became the home location, but for a couple of years, Carol lived in Palo Alto, California when the fox farm business started to expand. While living in California, Carol saw the Graf Zeppelin fly over the farm during its globe circumnavigation and had a visit from then President Herbert Hoover who stopped by the fox farm due to the Newberg connection. Before starting school, Carol’s family returned to Dundee where she lived for many years. Among Carol’s stories of childhood, she loved to share about her pet fox, Midgie, an orphan fawn she raised, the many hobos that would come to the farm from railroad track markers for a hot meal and shelter. Carol was raised to care for those in need, show kindness to all, and to work hard. Carol showed musical talent as a young child, often entertaining family guests with a song. She learned to play piano, sang in the school choir, played French horn in the school band, and performed in numerous plays, musicals, and operettas. She was often asked to perform at church, banquets, weddings, and other special occasions. After graduating from Newberg High School in 1943, Carol attended Willamette University in Salem, Oregon where she met the love of her life, James “Millard” Leslie in late September 1943. Carol didn’t even know he was interested until Millard showed up on her family’s doorstep in Dundee one day during Christmas break with his young brother of 13 years in tow. While her father, Frank, became enchanted with this gregarious boy, Carol fell in love with Millard. War time demanded a quick-planned wedding which took place on July 23, 1944 just before Millard shipped out with his Navy unit. Following the war, Carol and Millard lived in Rainier, Oregon for about six years before moving back to Dundee to take over the family farm and care for her aging mother. For nearly 50 years, Carol taught piano and organ lessons. While Millard taught music and drama at the Newberg Junior and High Schools, Carol provided piano accompaniment for many of Millard’s musicals and operettas and often made the costumes. She played the piano at church and spent many years actively involved as a church deaconess. Carol was an avid reader who loved mysteries, FBI thrillers, and historical fiction. Genealogy, stamp collecting, plate collecting, making costumes for the Champoeg Pageant and crafting were among some of Carol’s other passions. In later years, into her 90’s, Carol continued to hand-quilt baby blankets and crochet baby sweater sets which she donated to the Newberg Hospital for newborns. Among her children’s greatest memories are canning all the vegetables and fruit grown in the garden, gathering eggs from the chickens, helping care for Grandma, listening to Mom play the piano, being taught to sing together in harmony, adventures at the creek, family beach trips, decorating for Christmas, and continuing the tradition of long walks in the woods looking for lady slippers. Carol’s grandchildren will always remember Grandma baking cookies and banana bread, showing them how to hunt for salamanders, picking blackberries together, endless encouragement, looking for rocks, reading Peter Rabbit and Grandma beating the hard Super Mario World levels for them. Surviving are Carol and Millard’s six children: Carolyn (Geoff) Proehl of Tacoma, WA, Dianne (Rick) Richmond of Scappoose, OR, Beth (Fred) Swain of Salem, OR, and from Newberg, Laurie (Rick) Comfort, Dave (Renae) Leslie, and Lisa Leslie. Carol is also survived by 5 grandsons, 4 granddaughters, 3 great-grandsons, and 5 great-granddaughters, and several nieces and nephews. Her husband, Millard, and brother, Eugene, preceded her in death. Rest well, Mom. It has been a privilege and honor to be your children. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making contributions to the Millard Leslie Scholarship with the Newberg Kiwanis Club, PO Box 141, Newberg, OR 97132