MAYORAL MINUTE NO 11/2020
VALE CARROL HOJEL 13 OCTOBER 2020
Councillors,
It is with great sadness that I speak of the passing of long-time volunteer, mother, resident and wife, Carrol Hojel.
They often say behind every great man there’s a great woman. And that has definitely been the case for District Fire Control Officer John Hojel and his amazing wife Carrol, who sadly passed away.
Like husband John, Carrol invested many years into volunteering for the local Rural Fire Service (RFS). She initially started working with a number of other women in the area for the Annangrove Bushfire Brigade, before moving into the Communications Unit at the RFS. Carrol ran the after-hours communications with her husband, John. Carrol was exceptionally good at her job and was promoted to Communications Captain not long after. She received many recognition awards, including a life membership of the Communications Brigade, as well as the National Medal and the RFS Medal for over 25 years of service to her community.
Carrol also devoted her time to many other community activities and events in various roles and capacities. One of her biggest projects was the Galston High School Debutante Ball. The first year was to help out while her daughter made her debut. She decided to volunteer the following year because she felt she could improve on the last and she did in fact do just that.
Apart from volunteering, Carrol was also passionate about education. She worked in the library at Patrician Brothers in Blacktown and was also a keen reader. She was known to fill the bookcases with novels, and regularly read to her children and grandchildren. Carrol also enjoyed researching topics and gathering information for her children’s school projects. She also relished watching documentaries and movies from the past.
While working at Patrician Brothers, Carrol also juggled working on the family mushroom farm.
After she came home from work, Carrol would join her husband out in the fields. Often they would work long hours to get the job done. This also included working late nights in freezing conditions.
Carrol has never been scared of hard work and this was shown when she taught herself shorthand from a book. Her perseverance paid off and she secured a job as the Personal Assistant (PA) for the Head Librarian at Windsor Library. Her skills and work ethics were quickly recognised and the then General Manager of Hawkesbury City Council hired her to be his PA.
Carrol’s hard work didn’t end there - she continued to care for her family whilst juggling all her jobs and extracurricular projects. She adored her husband and her children. Her big heart
continued to grow when her grandchildren came along. Nothing gave her more pleasure than spending time with them, including watching Disney movies and reading stories to them.
There are many words to describe Carrol and they include “generous”, “kind”, “devoted”, “hard working” and “passionate”. However, the word that I feel best describes Carrol is “dynamic”. I chose this word because after you had finished talking with Carrol, you were left feeling inspired and wanting to do more - whether that be finishing all those incomplete tasks that you’ve always been wanting to cross off the list, pursuing that dream career or just wanting to go out and help others in your local community. Carrol was a true motivator and her own success in life is a result of her drive, passion and dedication to always building others up.
Carrol will be greatly missed by her family, this Council and community.
Accordingly I move the following:
MOTION:
1. This Mayoral Minute be received;
2. A minute’s silence be observed to pay tribute to Carrol Hojel and her lifetime dedication to our community.
Dr Michelle Byrne MAYOR
