Carolyn Austin of McKinney, Texas passed away on May 3, 2023, at the age of 87. She was born on May 9, 1935, to Bras Jesse Cole and Mildred Ray (Williams) Cole in Stephenville, Texas. Carolyn was a 1953 graduate of Stephenville High School and continued her education in Stephenville at Tarleton State Junior College, now Tarleton State University, where she received her associate degree in business administration in 1955. She was the Centennial Queen of Stephenville in 1956. Carolyn earned a bachelor’s degree in business education from the University of Texas at Austin in 1957, and taught high school in Richardson, Texas for 20 years during which time she earned a master’s degree in education from East Texas State University in 1977.
After retiring from teaching Carolyn was a flight attendant for ten years becoming an accomplished world traveler. She had a wide variety of interests, loved jazz, was a hot air balloon crew member, and was a devoted mama to her loving rescue cats. Carolyn shared her time in service to others helping underprivileged and homeless teens with the Samaritan Inn organization and the Trinity River Mission of Dallas, Texas, and she participated with a relief mission to Honduras to help rebuild homes after catastrophic flooding. She retired to McKinney, Texas in 2000 and continued her life of service volunteering for Meals on Wheels of Collin County and the North Texas Cat Rescue.
She was a devoted member of First United Methodist Church in Richardson, Texas living her life in the surety of God’s love. She was a loving daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend. She will be dearly and deeply missed by those who knew and loved her.
Carolyn is survived by her brother, David Cole of Miami, Florida; son, Samuel Kent Austin and wife, Frances of Bonham, Texas; son Barry Cole Austin of Cleveland, Ohio; daughter, Angela Ray Austin and husband, John Chivian of Frisco, Texas; grandchildren, Cas Austin of Lakewood, Colorado and Sean Austin of Coleman, Oklahoma; and numerous other loving family members and friends.
Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents.
A memorial service will be held at 4:00 pm, Thursday, May 11, 2023, at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, 2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, Texas 75013. The service will also be live streamed at TJMfuneral.com on Carolyn’s obituary page by clicking on the following link: https://celebrationoflife.tv/blog/carolyn-austin. After the service, the recorded live stream will be available for viewing at the same link location.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to any of the charitable organizations mentioned above for which Carolyn volunteered.