Carol Irene Segal

Carol Irene Segal, 86, of Alto, Michigan, went home to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on the beautiful sunny afternoon of March 9, 2026, with her bedside surrounded by her four adoring children.

Carol Irene Saari was born in Detroit, Michigan, on October 26, 1939, to Elmer and Eeva Saari, father and mother each sharing a proud Finnish heritage. She was raised in the nearby cities of Livonia and Southfield and graduated from Southfield High School, class of 1957. She graduated from Western Michigan University with a degree in education, having been active in the school’s Intervarsity Christian chapter, and began teaching grade school shortly thereafter.

At university Carol met her future husband, Thomas Segal — a Hebrew Christian who believed in Jesus as the promised Messiah — and together they raised four children, with Carol leaving teaching to devote herself full time to homemaking. Carol and Tom raised their family in the Christian churches they attended, and together enjoyed Bible studies with friends, collecting antiques, and the opportunities to travel presented through Tom’s sales firm.

In 1987 Carol’s husband went home to be with the Lord after a long bout with pancreatic cancer. She remained a widow the rest of her life and committed herself to completing the raising of her children, the youngest of whom was 16 at the time. She later went on to earn a master’s degree and worked as a reading specialist. She also acquired a builder’s license and a tax preparer’s certification, all the while continuing to engage in the antique trade.

After moving back to Michigan following a few years in New Hampshire, where her mother was raised, she settled in Grand Rapids to be near her grandchildren and remained there, sharing a happy home the last fifteen years of her life with her elder son and younger daughter.

Most fundamental to Carol’s life was her faith, her firm belief that Jesus Christ, Son of God, had found her and saved her for all eternity. As she truly believed, she now rests firmly in the bosom of her heavenly Father having passed from this life to the next, and having relied on nothing she has done herself but trusting solely on the work done on her behalf by Jesus Christ her Savior — by his life, death, and resurrection — to unite her with her Creator. Her faith was the foundation supporting every aspect of her life and every endeavor she pursed, both in her home life and in her public and professional one.

Carol was a warm and gracious person, a faithful wife and mother to her children and friend to those she knew and loved. She was studious and loved to read her Bible and Christian theology, and loved to read great stories in fiction as well. She was creative, with a knack for decorative design, loved to sing and play the piano, and enjoyed learning to draw and paint. She cherished the time spent with her family and friends, all of whom now miss her dearly.

Carol is survived by her sister, Judith Hugget; her four children, Michelle Tabor and son-in-law Scott, Thomas Segal, Mark Segal, and Heidi Segal; her two grandchildren, Emma Cesar (Brandon) and Scott Tabor; and her great grandchildren, Barrett and Braxton. She was preceded in death by her husband of 25 years, Thomas Segal; her father and mother, Elmer and Eeva Saari; her sister, Nancy White and brother-in-law, Richard, her brother, Donald Saari and sister-in-law, Shirley, and her brother-in-law, James Hugget.

Funeral services will be held at Redeemer Orthodox Presbyterian Church, 8605 Fulton St. SE, Ada, Michigan, on Saturday March 14 at 2:00 p.m. Visitation will begin at 1:00 p.m. and a dessert reception will be held at the church following the service. Burial will take place at White Chapel Memorial Park Cemetery in Troy, Michigan, on Monday March 16 at 11:00 a.m. Flowers may be sent to the church.