Coralee Winterol

08 February, 1934 – 28 March, 2025

Coralee was born in a coal mining camp in Paintsville, Kentucky. She was one of seven children to her mother, Bernice and her father, Virgil.

In her early years, Coralee was a stellar student, especially in mathematics. She excelled scholastically while still making time to assist her siblings with their schoolwork and always helping her mother with the day-to-day family functions.

After moving to Columbus, Ohio she started a career in finance. Based on her performance, Coralee rose quickly through the male dominated corporate ranks being known as a decisive thinker and a person that got results.

Outside of work, Coralee loved spending time with her family and dancing. She and her brother, Paul, won multiple disco championships in the 1970’s. Coralee mastered the art of marriage and had two daughters, Karen and Laura. She loved her girls and enjoyed sharing her other passion with them, horseback riding.

Later in life, Coralee moved to the sunshine state and leveraged her banking background by partnering with her sister, Liz, to develop their own private investigation agency. In this role, the two ladies were contracted by financial institutions to locate delinquent purchasers of exotic goods throughout the world.

Upon retirement, Coralee left Florida and moved to Arkansas to be closer to family where she lived the remainder of her life filled with love until she was called by The Lord to come home at the age of 91.

Coralee was the last of her brothers and sisters to leave this world. She is survived by her two daughters, Karen Lee Thompson, Laura E Smith and 1 son-in-law, James M Smith, four grandchildren, Christopher M Thompson, Joseph E Thompson, Natasha Nichole Evon Gallagher with her husband Maurice “Rusty” Gallagher and Krystal D Stephen’s with significant other Steve Snoke, eight great grandchildren, Noah Thompson, Gibson Thompson, Bailyn Thompson, Howard “Buddy” Miller, Alyssa Reese, Summer Miller, Brooklyn Reese, Ella Miller, and our angel, Gabriel Miller who passed away in his 6th month of “becoming “ his little self, and three great great grandchildren, Kolton Miller, Walker Lee Thompson, and Alice Olivia Hopfer.

In addition, Coralee will always be loved and adored by several of her nieces and nephews along with dear friends Sylvia V Combs and Barbara Terrell.

Afterglow

I’d like the memory of me to be a happy one.

I’d like to leave an Afterglow of smiles when the day is done.

I’d like to leave an echo…whispering softly down the ways of happy times, laughing times, and bright sunny days.

I’d like the tears of those who grieve to dry before the sun of happy memories that I leave behind when day is done.