Carol Bemben

The family of Carol Bemben (nee Nocchi) of Elgin, IL is sad to announce her passing on Thursday, July 6, 2023. Carol died peacefully after a long battle with PSP.

Carol was born in Chicago to Dominic and Teresa Nocchi on October 14, 1952. As the daughter of an army trumpet player, it was inevitable that music would be an important part of her life. At a young age, Carol discovered that she could sing and quickly joined the school choir. After starring in the "Sound of Music" in high school, she briefly thought she might like to be a nun. She continued to hone her craft and was singing professionally in nightclubs by the age of 17.

Though Carol was a huge Beatles and Dave Clark Five fan, her first love was always jazz. It was no surprise when she met and married a jazz musician and had 3 children; Melissa, Meredith, and Melanie. In between carpools and PTA meetings, Carol performed with her husband's band all over Chicagoland, recorded several CDs, and regularly appeared on the radio. Even after the band dissolved, she regularly performed at the Black Ram nightclub on Saturday nights. Music was in her blood and performing was second nature.

Carol had special relationships with all three of her daughters. In a household of 5 people plus a dog, it was often chaotic at times. To remedy that, Carol began a Mom and Me tradition to ensure nobody felt left out. Every month, she would treat each daughter to a special day just for them, that included deep conversations and lunch at their favorite restaurant. For Carol, being a mom was not just a job, it was a calling.

Carol passed on her wisdom as a mother to her daughters when they had kids. After retirement, she adored spending her free time with her grandchildren. She could often be found playing School or Store with her granddaughters or Legos with her grandson. Even after she fell ill, Carol continued to attend cheerleading events and baseball games to root for her favorite team: her grandkids.

Aside from music and family, Carol's other love was travel. As a child, her father would bring the family up to Hayward, Wisconsin for fishing and boating trips. Carol continued the tradition; spending 2 weeks every summer fishing on the same lake. She also enjoyed cruises, and took regular trips to Florida, Las Vegas, and Colorado.

Carol was preceded in death by her father Dominic Nocchi, mother Teresa (Ryan) Stakenas. She is survived by her daughters Melissa DiBenedetto (husband Tom), Meredith Jordan (husband Jeremy), and Melanie Bemben; partner Michael Velinske, brother Michael Nocchi (wife Brenda), and grandchildren Ava, Gianna, Gabriela DiBenedetto, Briana DiBenedetto Spinnato (husband James); Mackenna and Jacob Jordan.

Memorial visitation Saturday, July 15, 2023 3:00pm until 7:00pm with a service/stories at 4:00pm at Countryside Funeral Home and Crematory, 333 South Roselle Rd., Roselle, IL. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to CurePSP (PSP.org) or the Michael J. Fox Foundation. For information: 630-529-5751.