Carole Joy Schermer

Carole Joy Schermer, 77 of Center Grove, IN (Formerly of West Palm Beach, FL)

The world lost a bright and bold woman when Carole Joy Schermer peacefully passed away on December 24, 2022 after a brave fight against cancer.

To know Carole was to know you were in the presence of a special person. She will always be remembered as being fiercely loyal, generous, funny, and a wise sounding board to all.  She was extremely committed to family and friends; her concern for them never wavered throughout her life.  She was a perfect mixture of hard and soft with no patience for the inept or lazy. Expectations for family included honesty, loyalty, and giving 110%. She was always the first to send a Happy Birthday text, sometimes as early as 5:30 am. She loved dining with family at her favorite restaurants such as Ruth’s Chris, Bynum’s, and Stone Creek; always insisting on picking up the check.

She was born on August 19, 1945 to Harry and Betty Label. Youngstown, Ohio was her home despite being born in Frederick, Oklahoma while her dad was a Sergeant in the Army. After attending Ohio State University, she settled in Indianapolis to raise her family until she left for West Palm Beach Florida with her loving husband Richard “Dick” Probst.

Carole had two successful careers. First in the insurance industry with Principle Financial Group in Indiana and later as a Pre-Need Sales Counselor for Eternal Light Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Florida.

Carole’s quick wit and humor started early for she was named “Class Clown” at Rayen High School (Youngstown, OH) her senior year. Her dry humor never left her even while battling cancer at the hospital. After receiving a less than stellar meal she exclaimed, “I didn’t know you could mess up green beans.”  She was also overheard asking the hospital staff and family, “Why is this taking so long?” When asked what she was referencing, she waved her arms up in the air and said in an obvious tone… “This” impatiently referring to her own passing.

Carole carefully followed and watched pro football and basketball as well as Judge Judy at 4pm everyday.  She loved staying on top of the latest gossip and always had a subscription to the National Enquirer. Her lifelong favorite past time was playing weekly Mahjong games with her girlfriends as they ate bagels, lox and “kibitzed” with one another.  Carole was an excellent cook known for her homemade spaghetti & meatballs, brisket, and matzo ball soup. She also made a top-notch NY Style Cheesecake that rivaled Shapiro’s Deli and her daughter’s favorite mandel bread.  She had impeccable taste in interior decorating and her house always looked like a model home.

Carole always had her hair and nails done to perfection.  A special thank you to the owners of Orchid Nails of Greenwood for personally making a house call to do both a manicure and pedicure when she was unable to leave her home.

Just prior to the pandemic, she and Dick returned to Indiana. They settled in Greenwood (Center Grove) to be close to family despite her never setting foot on the Southside of Indy before.  During the quarantine days, she spent countless hours of quality time with Dick. He always made sure that her heart was full of love but also her glass was always full of her favorite Arnold Palmer iced tea.

She is preceded in death by her father, Harry Label; mother, Betty Label; and brother, Stanley Label.

She is survived by her loving husband, Richard “Dick” Probst; son, Craig Schermer (Mary); daughter, Shana Quebe (Deron); and the grandsons she loved so much, Cam and Parker Dyer. Also, she leaves behind many close, lifelong friends: Robbie, Joan, Bev, Lark, Barb, Ruth and Tony.

Despite being in the funeral business (or maybe because of it), her wishes were to be cremated with no funeral service.  Her family will be holding a private, family celebration of life to best cherish Grandma Carole’s 77 years of life. (ARN) Aaron Ruben Nelson Funeral Home & Cremation Services will be handling her wishes.

A very heartfelt thank you to the 4th floor oncology nursing staff at Community Hospital-South & their hospice team, as well as Senior Helpers. The team effort ensured she received the absolute best care, love, and support in her final month of life.