Carolyn Moore, 69, of Marion, Kansas, died Monday, November 11 at Stormont-Vail Hospital in Topeka. Carolyn was born August 14, 1944 in Beaumont, TX to Samuel Elton and Maybelle Lee. She was raised in Anahuac (the alligator capital of Texas) where she was the highest ranking girl in her graduating class. She attended the University of Texas on scholarship to their prestigious "Plan II" honors program, graduating in 1966. In August 1969, Carolyn married Stephen Moore. The couple moved periodically between Texas and Kansas but felt most at home in Marion, where they raised their three children, played bridge, and loved life.
Professionally, Carolyn worked as a secretary for the Marion County school district before returning to school herself to earn teaching credentials from Tabor University in Hillsboro, Kansas. She later taught high school English and yearbook classes in Hope, Canton-Galva, and Marion.
In her retirement, Carolyn fostered a love of kayaking and became an authority on the subject of fruitcake, tasting over 300 varieties. She was an active member of PEO chapters in Marion and Topeka, the Twentieth Century Club, Marion Presbyterian Church, and was a founding member of the Secret Order of the Black Diamond. She read extensively, wrapped presents crazily, played clarinet, and helped her family and friends selflessly at every opportunity. She was a devoted mother, grandmother, sister, cousin and friend.
She is survived by her mother, Maybelle; ex-husband Steve; two sons, Sam of Topeka and Travis of Kansas City; a daughter, Meredith of Lawrence; three granddaughters, Lauren, Madeleine and Nadia of Topeka; and a sister, Nancy Clark.
A memorial service will be held at the Marion Presbyterian Church (610 E Lawrence St, Marion, KS) at 2pm on Saturday, November 23rd. Memorial contributions may be made to the Marion Presbyterian Church Piano Fund, the PEO Program for Continuing Education (http://www.peointernational.org/peo-projectsphilanthropies), and the Cure Alzheimer's Fund. (http://curealz.org/donate).