Carol Hager

Carol Hager (formerly Brant), 82, of Port St. Lucie, Florida and Trumbull, Connecticut, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2025, surrounded by her loving family.

Carol was born in Cleveland, Ohio, and graduated from St. Joseph Academy. In 1967, she moved to Michigan to raise her family, and it was there she met her best friend of over 50 years, Jan Flaherty—a friendship filled with laughter, mischief, and adventure.

Carol was a woman of many passions and talents. She was a green thumb who loved nature, animals, moonlit skies, painting, riding horses—especially her favorite horse, Rebel—and driving with the top down in her beloved red Mustang convertible under the sunny Florida skies. She played tennis and spent many treasured days sailing the Great Lakes alongside her beloved husband Jim on their boat Blustery where countless memories were made. 

Carol will be remembered as a free spirit with a strong will and a heart full of life. She had a gift for adventure – whether taking spontaneous road trips with her friend Jan where they danced at a cowboy bar in Kentucky, or opening her coat to let the wind sail her down a frozen river in Cleveland as a girl with her childhood friend Val. 

In her later years when health challenges slowed her down she cherished a great meal and a great cocktail and still loved to cook....or eat a great steak.  She was an avid reader and wasn't happy without a stack of books next to her. She valued her female friends - always finding a book club, mahjong game, or other activity to stay connected to others.

She was predeceased by her beloved husband Jim, her parents Stephen Francis Gonosey and Sarah Ellen Peterson, and her sister Mary-Lee Nicolan. She is survived by her sons David Brant of Fairfield, Connecticut, and Dennis Brant of Novi, Michigan; her brother Stephen Gonosey of Ohio; her step-son Dennis Hager of Lake Tahoe, California; her cherished grandchildren Sydney, Joshua, Skylar, Ava, Caden, Maddie, Cassidy, and Jackson; and one great-grandchild, Eloise.

A memorial service will be held on June 15 at the Grosse Ile Yacht Club in Michigan, a place close to Carol and her late husband Jim’s heart.

The family would like to extend heartfelt thanks to Mozaic Senior Life and to Tiffany Colucci for her care and kindness in Carol’s final chapter. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Mozaic Senior Life in Bridgeport, Connecticut.