It is with real sadness that I announce that Carol VanNatter, WSATI Southern Chapter 1996 Past President, and recognized as one of the "foundation bricks" of the Southern Chapter, passed away on February 4th, 2004, after being on life support since February 1st.

Even in death, Carol was giving, as her family donated her organs, as was Carol's wishes.

It was difficult calling and talking to people about Carol's untimely death as no one could believe someone so vital and life giving could possibly be dead.  I heard this over and over.  Carol touched many people and her continuous giving of herself was a trait everyone recognized.

After I got involved in vehicle theft investigations in 1987, Carol was one of the first people I met when I attended my initial Orange County Auto Theft Investigators Association meeting, along with Emile Maasen and Billy Osborn. 

My early memories of people in WSATI were Carol, Marianne Finney, Joan Pitts, Chuck Hollingsworth, Fritz Grimsley, Levon Matson, and of course, Billy Osborn.  People who wanted to help you.  People you wanted to be like.

Carol got many of us involved with IAATI, leading several of us down the road to being committee members to help put on the IAATI Seminar in Los Angeles in 2003.  Between Carol and Lou Koven, the Seminar committee put together a program for IAATI Seminar attendees to enjoy.  We still had fun as Bud Hood and I escorted the money-laden Carol to the local bank to make a deposit, with Carol laughing about the three of us wearing our matching Committee Hawaiian shirts and what the bankers must have thought.

Carol was a mentor for many of us who followed her into the WSATI Presidency and then the Board of Directors.

For all of us in OCATI, WSATI, and IAATI, as well as ATAC, we will miss Carol, not just for all she contributed to the organizations, but for that smile that would convince you that you could do that impossible thing to make whatever it was a success.

Gary