Carolyn Wolfe

Carolyn Wolfe, 78, passed peacefully on October 16th, surrounded by her family. Carolyn was born to Noble and Laura Carpenter, in the Colman Texas Hospital on October 7, 1944. Her father worked in the oil fields on oil rigs in west Texas. After her father suffered a heart attack the family started sharecropping upon settling in and around Shields, Texas. Carolyn attended school in Santa Anna, Texas where she enjoyed being a flutist in the school band and played on the High School girl's basketball team. She attended Business School in Abilene, Texas while working at American Finance paying her tuition while earning $1.25 an hour. She met her forever boyfriend (AKA husband Duane Wolfe - “Tweet”) in July 1963. While Tweet was assigned to Dyess Air Force Base Carolyn and he were casual friends. Tweet having just met Carolyn received deployment orders to Howard Air Force Base providing supplies to Embassies and Consulates in South America. After his deployment he returned to Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene, Texas - it was at this time they clicked as a couple. Tweet immediately deployed to Sondrestrom Air Base, Greenland providing supplies to DYE radar sites. While playing pool he won $125.00 allowing an engagement and wedding ring to be purchased, these are the very rings she proudly wore until the day she passed away, Carolyn always commented on how Tweet bought her on the cheap. They were married on August 15, 1964, in her hometown of Santa Anna, Texas at the United Methodist Church. They just celebrated their 58th wedding Anniversary. Having had two sons Robert Neal and Douglas Duane. Robert is a technician with the Washington Air National Guard and Douglas was a teacher at Medical Lake Elementary School. Carolyn was blessed with six amazing grandchildren Ian, Alec, Evan of New Independence, Minnesota; Chase, Samantha, and Grayson of Medical Lake, Washington. She is survived by her husband Duane, son Robert, daughter-in-law Paula of Cloquet, Minnesota; daughter-in-law Deanna of Medical Lake, Washington; sister Chrystene and John Downs of Abilene, Texas; brother Floyd and Nancy Carpenter of Abilene, Texas; sister-in-law Janice of Chicago, Illinois; sister-in-law Megan of Berwick, Pennsylvania, brother-in-law Bill Clouse of Abilene, Texas, and brother-in-law Kevin of Kennedale, Texas. Kevin always bragged he was Carolyn and Duane’s third child. Carolyn was a remarkable woman, wife, mother, grandmother, and trusted friend to many. She possessed the perfect combination of grit, grace, hard work, sharp wit, and excellent humor. She was actively engaged with her two children and six grandchildren attending sports practices, games, dance performances, and band concerts. She was diligent about keeping in touch with family and friends. Every two years the family attended the Carpenter Family Reunion held in Abilene, Texas with over 100 people in attendance. She served as the family historian researching the family tree back to the 1600s, discovering she is a direct descendent of Governor William Bradford a signatory of the 1620 Plymouth Compact. She preferred to send letters and cards rather than an email until cell phones came along; she enjoyed not having to pay long-distance charges. She worked for financial firms and banks at each of the locations she lived, She was the U.S. Bank Branch Manager at Fairchild Air Force Base, and later worked at Sterling Savings and Umpqua banks in Medical Lake Washington. She was preceded in death by her parents, Noble and Laura Carpenter of Santa Anna, Texas; her youngest son Douglas of Medical Lake, Washington who passed in April of 2021; and her youngest sister Doretha Clouse of Abilene, Texas who passed in September 2022. While her absence leaves us with a huge void in our family her unconditional love and inspiration will be with us forever. A Celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held on Friday, November 25th, 2022 at 2:00 PM. Located at Cheney Funeral Chapel: 1632 West First Street Cheney, WA 99004 509-235-2992 The family requests in Lieu of sending flowers please consider making a contribution to the Medical Lake Dollars for scholars in memory of her using the following information: https://secure.givelively.org/donate/medical-lake-dollars-for-scholars/giving-tuesday-end-of-year-campaign-november-30-december-31 Please dedicate this gift in honor of Carolyn’s son Doug Wolfe, if you would like to notify the Wolfe family of the donation, please add rpwolfe1967@gmail.com in the email address box.

Carolyn Wolfe

October 7, 1944 - October 16, 2022