Groveland, MA: Carol E. (Jones) (Sanders) Belanger, 74, died Tuesday, December 6, 2016, at Merrimack Valley Hospice House in Haverhill.

Born and raised in Methuen, Carol lived with her grandmother and great grandmother, and attended local schools and was a member of the Tenney High School Class of 1960. From the time of her youth, she loved all facets of nature and was a natural athlete, excelling in basketball, soft ball, tennis skiing, horseback riding and volleyball. She later enjoyed kayaking, canoeing and snowmobiling.

When she was no longer was able to participate in sports, she enjoyed being a spectator at many sports at the Haverhill Stadium, where her late husband Kenny maintained the grounds.

Carol was also an accomplished artist and shared her many paintings with family and friends. She was an avid Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots fan.

Carol's children Matthew and Rebekah were the highlights of her life. They made their home in Groveland for many years and enjoyed camping, swimming, skiing and spending time with friends and extended family. She considered her son Matthew her "rock" who never ceased being there for her.

Carol also enjoyed spending winters in North Ft. Meyers, Florida with her friends Joan and Clem.

Carol furthered her education at Northern Essex Community College in Haverhill, earning a degree in Accounting. She was employed as the assistant manager at Friendly's Ice Cream for several years and later worked as a payroll clerk, bookkeeper and tax preparer for Robert Carr, CPA, and finally for many years at the Francis J. Berube Insurance and Accounting Office.

Carol was the wife of the late Kenneth Belanger and was also predeceased by her daughter Rebekah Sanders, her father James H. Jones, brothers William Hanson, Michael Jones and Robert Jones.

She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her son Matthew Sanders and his fiancé Lisa Harvey of Groveland, her mother Edith (Brear) Hanson of Nashua, NH, her sister Sandra Martin of Groton and her brother and sister-in-law. Bruce and Marianne Hanson of Nashua, NH, two sisters-in-law, Margaret Jones of Florida, and Gwen Belanger of Haverhill, a special friend Joan O'Brien of Florida, her card playing friends, Martha Thibodeau and Frances Slattery, a lifelong friend Sandra Davis of Montana, her best friend "Allie" and many other friends at Merrivista, where she has been a resident for the last several years.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend Carol's Life Celebration to be held on Friday, December 9, 2016 from 4 to 7 p.m. at BERUBE -Comeau Funeral Home, 47 Broadway, Haverhill. Her funeral service will take place on Saturday, December 10 at 10 a.m. at the funeral home. It was Carol's requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to National Association of Mental Illness, The Schraft Center, 529 Main St., Suite 1M17, Boston, MA 02129, or to The MSPCA, Nevins Farm, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844. To send a message of condolence to the family or to find directions to our home, please visit www.berubecomeau.com