Carol Portnoff

Carol Ann Portnoff {February 18, 1952 – July 17, 2022) wife, mother, and fierce friend lived a beautifully poetic life from start to end. Carol shared an amazing legacy with her husband Michael through 25 years of love, laughter, and tears. A wonderful mother and especially discerning woman of exquisite taste, she provided comfort and solace while asking little in return. Her son, Mark, and daughter-in-law Dianna adored her and together they learned, through Carol, life-lessons of integrity, loyalty, and compassion.

Carol met her future daughter-in-law, Dianna, when Dianna was only 15 and they soon became best friends. Over the next 34 years, together they built a strong bond and had more of a mother-daughter relationship than that of in-laws. Nothing brought Carol more joy in life than knowing her husband and children were happy and safe. To her, Michael, Mark, and Dianna were blessings and they loved her in kind.

Carol loved antiques, dolls, decorating her home, chocolate, watching mini-series, her husband, pink, looking for deals, Kraft macaroni and cheese, her iPhone, art, gatherings with her family, friends,  laughter, eBay, comfy pillows, Enya, generosity, socializing, coffee, the GO’s, and Christmas, and above all, she loved her Lord Jesus Christ.

The best way to describe Carol is, as her husband Michael describes, sunshine. She could walk into a room and drown out all the gloom with her smile. The words, “I love you” were always her way of saying bye for now. She loved deeply and unconditionally and always gave a big warm hug to family and friends.

To her daughter-in-law she leaves her kindness and appreciation of all that is beautiful. To her son she leaves her compassion and indomitable spirit. To her husband she leaves her undying love, unfathomable gratitude and their two children (Mark and Dianna) and dog (Khaleesi) – who love him more than words can ever describe.

On August 15, a service for friends and family will be held at the Lighthouse Memorials and Receptions in Redondo Beach.