Carol Stubna Eschete Heffelfinger

Carol Ann Stubna, 80, died peacefully at 1:15 am on July 21, 2024 in Pace, Florida. Carol was born January 18, 1944 in Carnegie, Pennsylvania to Ruth (Poppelreiter) Stubna and David Stubna. Carol was the beneficiary of 12 years of Catholic education, after which she earned a cosmetology degree and teaching license in the State of Pennsylvania. Carol was married on October 2, 1965 to Arnold John Eschete, whom she met while he was stationed in the Pittsburgh area with the Army Air Defense Command. Carol moved to Arnold’s South Louisiana home region in 1966, eventually settling in Houma, though the family moved several times with Arnold’s oilfield career over the 20 years thereafter. Carol worked for the School for Exceptional Children in Houma for almost 40 years, retiring in 2008. Between 1984 and her move to Florida in 2008, Carol augmented family income as the sole proprietress of a beauty shop attached to the family home on Lee Avenue. After Arnold’s death in 2002, Carol met Daniel Lee Heffelfinger of Pace, Florida online, with the two marrying in 2008 and remaining married until Dan’s death in 2018.

Throughout the many moves, births, illnesses, deaths, victories and losses the family faced, Carol passed on the values of hard work, finishing what one has started, never watching someone struggle without offering to help, and accepting and befriending people in whatever life circumstances they carried with them. She also believed in simply finding something constructive to do with every possible moment; three weeks before she died, she was gladly folding napkins in the nursing home cafeteria. Her strong Catholic faith and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Blessed Virgin and Blessed Father Seelos comforted and strengthened her throughout her entire life and that faith was graciously passed along to her children and, by her influence, strengthened in many other people. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, David and Ruth Stubna, her first child who passed at birth, her first husband Arnold and second husband Dan. She is survived by her daughter Barbara (Kenny) Martin of Pace, Florida, Renee (Vic) Doust of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia and son Darryl Eschete (Becky) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin and older sister Joan Harbin of Carnegie, Pennsylvania. She is also survived by eight grandchildren and one niece. Carol remained fond of her ex-daughter-in-law Elizabeth (Voissement) Trahan and Liz’s kind family to the end.

A Visitation will be held on Monday, July 29, 2024 from 5 PM to 8 PM with a Rosary Prayer Service to be held at 6:30 PM at Chauvin Funeral Home. Visitation will continue from 9 AM to 11 AM at St. Gregory Barbarigo Catholic Church with a Mass of Christian Burial to begin at 11 AM. Burial will follow at Magnolia Cemetery where she will be laid to rest. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to The School for Exceptional Children in Houma—send checks made out to “School For Exceptional Children” to School for Exceptional Children, 106 Moffett Road, Houma, LA 70360 with “Carol Eschete Memorial” in the notes line. 

The family thanks the kind and attentive staff of PruittHealth--Santa Rosa and Emerald Coast Hospice in Milton, Florida.

Chauvin Funeral is honored to serve the family of Carol Stubna Eschete Heffelfinger.