A true Everett icon. That’s how one son-in-law describes Carol Stuchell.

Her life centered around family. She raised six children with her husband, Harry Stuchell, whose ancestors had started the Eclipse Mi

ll Company on the Snohomish River in the early 1900s.

“She was truly the glue that held our large family together,” Jean Messner, the Stuchells’ eldest daughter, said at her mother’s memorial service at the First Presbyterian Church of Everett

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Carol Lee Carpenter Stuchell died May 24. She was 86.

As central as she was to her family, Carol Stuchell never shied away from deep and long-standing involvement in her community.

“I truly believe she was happiest when she was doing something helpful for others,” Messner said at the June 3 memorial service.

She took on roles from Cub Scout den mother to serving on a board of directors. She was a Sunday school teacher at First Presbyterian, then later became a church elder.

Carol Stuchell served on the boards of Camp Fire‘s Snohomish County Council, the Snohomish County chapter of the American Red Cross, the Everett Woman’s Book Club, Volunteers of America, Providence General Children’s Association, and Providence Hospice and Home Care of Snohomish County.

While her daughters were in Camp Fire, she spent 25 years as a leader of their Bluebird and Camp Fire groups.

“She was my leader for years,” said Nancy Kniest, the youngest of the Stuchell children and now president of Stuchell Enterprises Inc., the family’s Everett-based investment and real estate company. “She was a true Everett icon,” said Paul Kniest, Nancy’s husband. “The Stuchell family has been part of Everett since 1902,” he said.

Her years of service earned much recognition, including a PTA Golden Acorn Award, the Children’s Association Carol Stuchell Award, Zonta’s Virginia Gullikson Award and the Camp Fire Lou Denney Award.

“The essence of everyone’s memories was how much she loved and enjoyed spending time with her family,” Messner said. For holidays, Messner said her mother was likely to be hostess to 50 relatives.

“She also never missed a birthday wish for her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” Messner said. “She made each of us feel special.”

The daughter of William and Blanche Davey Carpenter, Carole Lee Carpenter was born July 5, 1924, at Everett’s General Hospital. The family lived in Minneapolis, Minn., from the time she was 3 until she was 11. In 1935, they returned briefly to Everett before moving to Seattle.

Carol graduated from Broadway High School in Seattle, and in 1946 from the University of Washington, where she was a member of Gamma Phi Beta sorority.

She and Harry W. Stuchell II were married Oct. 5, 1946.

Along with her husband of 64 years, she is survived by daughters Jean Messner, Barbara Johnson, Linda Chapman, Debra Roberts and Nancy Kniest; by daughter-in-law Dawn Stuchell; sister-in-law Karen Carpenter; and by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren and other close family members.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Harry “Sandy” Stuchell; and her brother, William Carpenter Jr.

Harry Stuchell II and his wife, both born in Everett, had known each other since childhood. “There were three Carpenter brothers, and one of them was my wife’s father. The other two married my dad’s two sisters — two Stuchell girls,” said Harry Stuchell, who began dating his future bride at the UW.

The older generation of Carpenters and Stuchells live on Everett’s Grand Avenue near 33rd Street; Harry and Carol Stuchell raised their family on Rucker Avenue near Whittier Elementary School.

After the Eclipse Mill burned in 1962, the business grew to include other mills and real estate interests. “We’re still involved down on the waterfront, but there’s no more lumber business,” Harry Stuchell said.

In their younger years, he and his wife were part of a social and dance group called the Reveleers. The friends started the dances in the late 1940s in a hall in Everett’s Pinehurst area, and later danced at the Everett Golf & Country Club. More recently, Harry Stuchell joined his wife in exercise classes at Everett’s Carl Gipson Senior Center.

Family summers were spent at the Stuchells’ beach house at Tulalip Shores. “We were the only kids at the beach who had to do chores before we could play,” Messner said. “She ran a tight ship.”

Nancy Kniest said her mother had battled cancer at 70, and the disease had come back in her 80s. “She was so active, you wouldn’t know,” she said.

Her mother loved to read, and kept her mind active by doing Sudoku number puzzles.

“One of my favorite things was to go with her to Wight’s at Christmastime and look at all the decorations. She loved the holidays,” Nancy Kniest said.

“She welcomed everybody,” Harry Stuchell said. “We had a lot of good friends. And she loved kids.”

Julie Muhlstein: 425-339-3460; muhlstein@heraldnet.com.