Carole Stanfill

Carole Jeanne Womack Stanfill, 78, of Houston passed away peacefully in her sleep Feb. 8, 2014, at home.

Whether as daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, teacher or friend, she filled all her roles in life with her own special type of love, quiet dignity and empathy for the feelings of others.

Carole was born to Gerald "Jed" and Frohna Womack on Aug. 30, 1935, in Cape Girardeau. She was raised in Oran, Mo., where her parents had the only pharmacy around for miles. Carole often remarked at how lucky she was to have grown up in what she called a very special time and place: small-town America in the late 1940s and 1950s.

She fascinated her grandchildren with stories of her foibles learning to be an operator on the town's telephone switchboard and trying to convince them there was life on this planet before television, much less before that inter-web thingie.

Although an only child, Carole was surrounded by grandparents and an extended group of cousins growing up, most of whom have now preceded her. Raised to think independently, Carole often scandalized the nuns at the Holy Guardian Angel School with her "willfulness" until she "escaped" to public high school. There she eventually met and fell in love with the one and only love of her life, William A. "Bill" Stanfill.

Carole Stanfill

They became engaged upon her high school graduation, but could not actually marry until she got her college degree. Carole proceeded to tackle that little obstacle with the single-mindedness and creativity we all came to know and expect. She was a 4'10", 90-pound force of nature, then and always.

Carole graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with honors in only three years, completing a true double major in art and music education (and receiving a K-through-12th-grade teaching certificate for both), while being a varsity cheerleader and working part time.

Bill and Carole promptly married May 19, 1956, and were never apart again (except when the Army decided he needed to spend a couple of years in Vietnam) until his death Feb. 16, 2010. He never stood a chance, nor did he ever really want to.

They had two children, Bruce in 1957 and Cheryl Jo in 1959 (both of whom got a double-dose of the willfulness gene), and the family spent the next 20 years traveling to and living in 10 U.S. states on all three coasts, in Central America and in Puerto Rico, including an epic drive in 1968 from Washington, D.C., over the then-still-being-constructed Pan-American Highway all the way through Central America to Panama.

When Bill retired from the Army in 1973, the family moved back to Texas for good. During all those moves, Carole was the glue that kept everything together.

Besides her family, Carole's true loves in life were teaching children and experiencing new people and places. She did both with her usual zeal and success.

Carole taught school around the country during the family's travels, and upon settling in Houston, spent many rewarding years teaching art at Addicks Elementary School in Katy, Texas. During that time, her students regularly took high awards in the art competitions at the Harris and Fort Bend County fairs and the Houston Livestock Show.

She also earned a master's degree in education from Prairie View A&M University. And before retirement in 1989, she was honored by her peers, receiving the statewide "Master Teacher" designation several times.

Upon retirement, she and Bill moved to San Antonio and spent the next 20 years indulging their grandchildren and their passion for travel, visiting 48 of 50 states, England, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Japan, Okinawa, Panama (again), Quebec and most of the Caribbean Islands, culminating in a weeklong, all-family Caribbean cruise to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2006.

Carole's passing was preceded by her parents', by Bill's in 2010, and by a grandson, Austin Stanfill's, in 2013.

She leaves a son and daughter-in-law, Bruce and Julie Stanfill, and their son Dylan in Houston; a daughter, Cheryl Jo Burns, and her children Justin and Rebecca Burns in Cypress, Texas; brothers and sisters-in-law, Dale (Stan) and Gale Stanfill of Wake Forest, N.C., David Duane and Jackie Stanfill of Vacaville, Calif.; and two great-aunts, Audry and Joan West, and their families in Illinois.

Carole also leaves behind a host of lifelong friends, and she and the family would particularly like to thank those who were there for her the last years after Bill passed, Margaret and Gerry Beyer, the Shirleys (Gidley and Cotton), Nellie Reddix, Estella Rivas, Lee Anna and Jim DePriest and Paul Wilkerson. The family would also like to thank Dr. Nate Shumay and the Oncology Department staff at San Antonio Army Medical Center for Carole's kind care in their hands for the last couple of years, and especially for letting her do it her way (as if any of us really had a choice).

Carole was always there for those she cared for, either attacking the problem or just sitting quietly, whatever was needed. When she was on the case, things were just better. Our world is diminished without her. While her body may be gone, her spirit lives on in each of us. Everyone has their own special "Granny" memory (or indeed several) -- like at age 71 chasing after a purse snatcher who had just mugged her so she could kick him in the "hoo-has."

She is now back where she belongs, at Bill's side forever. His gain is our temporary loss. We still have our memories to comfort us until we can join them. Please hold her in your hearts and think of her with a smile, as we will.

The family will gather for a private memorial service at a later date.

Waltrip Funeral Home in Houston is in charge of arrangements.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions in Carole's memory may be directed to the scholarship fund she helped establish in the name of Austin Stanfill, c/o The University of St. Thomas Micro-Credit Program, 3800 Montrose Blvd., Houston, TX 77006.