Carol Lenore Edel

Carol Edel has a joyous, exuberant, playful soul. Throughout her (nearly) 82 years in this earthly embodiment, Carol brought much laughter, singing, and kinship to many people along her journey. For Carol, humor and laughter were her most precious gifts, ones she held closely and tended to with much care and gratitude. Her companions were often regaled with reminders of Carol’s escapades growing up—side-splitting stories of mischief at summer camp, endless pranking and laughter with friends during college, and throwing caution to the wind (and placing trust in the universe) while traveling across Europe with her close girlfriends in her 20s. Carol possessed an outstanding and hilarious sense of humor and she absolutely loved to laugh—even, or perhaps especially, at herself—and she maintained that playful sense of humor through her final days. With an unbridled and effervescent spirit, Carol lived her life to its fullest—seldomly concerned with what others may have thought of her, and rarely turning down an opportunity for adventure. She often bucked societal expectation, and in her playful nature she was a true believer in living life by the spirit of the law. With her blue eyes, black hair and signature hoop earrings, turquoise and silver, and ever-present chopsticks, Carol had a spellbinding presence.

On February 22nd 1943, Carol was born in Brooklyn, New York, to Shirley and Irving Gelband. She would remain an only child, a fact that might have been difficult at times for Carol growing up. She was raised in the traditional Jewish faith, and enjoyed a childhood robust with New York excitement, from stadium ball games with her dad to dressed-up performances at the theatre with her mom. (She loved classic cheese pizza and beef hot dogs with lots of mustard.) As she grew out of childhood, she found she was a natural singer and felt at ease with the microphone. She proudly sang with piano players in smoky cocktail lounges in Manhattan in her late teens and early 20s, even singing professionally in a Brazilian music band called Made in Brasil. Inspired by her love of Sergio Mendes and Brasil, she sang barefooted on stages in true 1960s fashion. Later in life she would find great catharsis belting out tunes from Celine Dion and Barbra Striesand. The music of Kenny Rankin also held a special place in Carol’s heart. She loved to drive her Toyota Camry while singing at the top of her lungs. Along with singing, Carol loved to dance and spent many years attending organized Salsa dancing classes and clubs.

Carol attended Curry College in Milton Massachusetts, where in 1964 she graduated with her bachelor of science degree in teaching. She went on to teach 2nd grade elementary students for some years. Yet Carol had not been satisfied in the perceived confines of her Jewish New York life and upbringing, and in the spirit of the times, she yearned for a more cosmic kind of personalized spiritual enlightenment that she felt would only be found out West. So, in the infancy of the 1970s she courageously packed up her life and traveled across the country to San Francisco in pursuit of her spiritual journey, finding for herself the answers to those burning internal/eternal questions. Once out West, she would soon align closely with Mark and Elizabeth Clare Prophet and the entire spiritual community of Church Universal and Triumphant.

During this time, Carol Gelband met David Edel. Closely entwined, they traversed in parallel their spiritual journeys, soon beginning a family together and bringing Joshua Edel into this world in 1974. These were the days of wine and roses, as Carol might say, when along with her husband and son, she savored the joys of new family life while raising Josh and spending their days together with the community at the peaceful bucolic church grounds in Southern California aptly named Camelot. Carol’s close relationship with the church, and her journey of spirituality, was of paramount importance to her. Apart from her children, her relationships with God, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Elizabeth Clare Prophet, and the entire spectre of Ascended Masters through the teachings of the church were her most prized and cherished. Carol’s relationship with her higher power was not checked in and out of on Sunday mornings; these deeply held relationships were a primary tenet of how she lived her daily life. Out-loud prayers to God and Jesus, curated energy sent out into the universe, and decrees to the ascended masters were ever-present in her world. Carol possessed a great deal of fiery love and unwavering compassion in her heart, and she put so much of it out into the world around her. Those lucky to know Carol could feel the joy and love that she emanated.

With a soulful passion, Carol loved and cherished being a mother. Her kids were absolutely never uncertain of their importance and priority in her world, and she remained a fierce advocate for them throughout her life. She was always there for guidance and she was always truthful with her kids. She was a nurturer, and loved to communicate. Nothing was off limits for Carol in her close relationships. In 1984, Carol and David welcomed their second son, Micah, into the world. Together as a family they lived in Topanga Canyon (just north of Los Angeles) until 1989 when they relocated to Plymouth Minnesota in a multifaceted movement toward the safe, secure, conservative midwest world in which David Edel had been born and raised. In the mid-1990s, Carol and David took their marriage in a different direction and decided to part ways, yet they maintained a loving and amicable relationship forevermore onward. From 1989 to 2025, Carol called Minnesota her home. For two decades Carol went almost-daily to visit Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. She absolutely cherished this spot, and felt a deep connection to the place and its community. She loved to go out on the sailboats, sit on the end of the dock with her feet in the water, and enjoy fish tacos from our much-loved Tin Fish restaurant. Since retiring, she found her new lakeside mecca in the Excelsior area of Lake Minnetonka, where she frequented regularly

Carol was a card-carrying hippie, through and through. In the early 1970s she chartered the course of hippie-dom in the Haight and Ashbury community of San Francisco, pondering life and the deeper meanings of it all. She was deeply spiritual and fascinated by the metaphysical, keeping herself surrounded at home with beautiful crystals and stones of all types. She especially loved Rose Quartz and Amethyst. Carol enjoyed talking with psychics and healers and had a lifelong devotion to self-betterment. She believed strongly in a higher, cosmic power in this universe, and danced joyously in the world of the mystical unseen.

Carol was a health nut, regularly juicing, cleansing, and fasting. Her kids recall the story of the “grape cleanse” during which she and David ate only grapes and peeled by hand every single grape skin. She loved to cook, and like a true Jewish mama, loved to feed those around her. Until retiring in her 70s (and in true hippie fashion) Carol had a “moving” career path with more than 35 illustrious years as a specialist in Colonic Therapy. One of Carol’s many gifts was bringing the health benefits of colonic irrigation to (probably) thousands of people. Her client list was long, and her patients adored her. She was lauded regularly as not just a fantastic colonic therapist, but an amazing human being and a dear friend as well. She cherished so many of her relationships with her clientele.

This write-up would not be complete without mention of Carol’s deep adoration toward her sweet Maltese dog named Ziggy, who we are certain gave her a very excited tail- and tongue-wagging welcome to the highest stratospheres of the cosmos. Earlier in her life, Carol’s deep animal loves were with her cat, Gigi, and Fluffy, our Australian Shepherd dog.

Carol will be dearly missed by so many wonderful people. Such an outpouring of love, stories, and kind words about Carol has been proof of the lasting effect she had on those whose lives she touched. Carol’s playful, teasing, joyful essence will linger in our hearts and memories, and her soaring spirit will be felt any time we slow our pace and mindfully connect with the limitless universe where Carol’s spirit now resides. Carol loves you!

A celebration of life service will be held in the early summer of 2025. Further details to come. We look forward to seeing you!