Carolyn Sue

Prato

In Loving Memory of Carolyn "Sue" Prato

Carolyn Sue Prato, known to all as Sue, was born in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, and passed away in Brookings, Oregon, on November 28, 2025, due to complications from Alzheimer's disease.

She is survived by her daughters, Margie Nelson and Lelia Pollet; four grandchildren, Alicia Bennett, Krystal Bennett, Ryan Mills, and Hannah and Luke Graham; 10 great-grandchildren. She is reunited with her husband Tony, son Johnny, brother Leland, and her mother Marjorie.

Sue lived a full life characterized by sharp capability and a steadfast pursuit of her many interests. She loved to listen to classical music, marching bands, and Neal Diamond. After moving to Washington, D.C. she found a new passion in going to musicals, her favorite being Cats as she also had a love of animals, cats in particular. She enjoyed a good game of solitaire and loved the show Murder She Wrote. Her professional achievements were many. She started out selling magazine subscriptions, then worked at the famous Playboy club in New Orleans, she was hired as a tax examiner, where she excelled and then earned a GS-13 position with the Internal Revenue Service in Washington, D.C., which was a point of significant personal pride, reflecting her dedication and intellect. Sue had many attempts at true love but felt she finally had this with Theodore (Ted) Wilson who she met in Arlington, Virginia. Sadly, she was widowed within a year of their blissful marriage. Still, she persisted and continued accomplishing accolades at her position with the I.R.S. It was during this chapter that she met Tony, and together they built a shared life of simple, practical joys, and mischievous —hunting for deals, sampling new foods, and taking on new adventures in libraries, book stores, museums, and more. Later, she found quiet focus in her garden, cultivated a keen eye at thrift stores, collected depression glass, cat statues, and enjoyed the camaraderie and chance of a bingo hall.

Sue's story was one of inner grace, self-defined pursuits, and quiet resilience. Her memory is carried forward by those who loved her, demonstrating the practical skills she honed, the independence she valued, and the clear, direct way she engaged with the world.

Her family extends their appreciation to the caregivers at Monarch Gardens for their dedicated support.

Condolences and fond memories may be shared with the family online at www.redwoodmemorial.net