Carolyn was born in Austin, Texas on September 21, 1943 to Zelma Smith. She lived in Tyler, Texas as a young child for a short period of time, then the family moved to Los Angeles, California in 1953. She attended school in Los Angeles. In 1973, she moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she resided for approximately seven years. While there she worked in the banking and transportation fields. She became home sick and returned to Los Angeles. Upon her return to Los Angeles, she worked for a major oil company, Atlantic Richfield Company, as a computer technician. Due to serious medical condition, she took a medical leave from Atlantic Richfield 1990 and was never able to return to work.
When her mother became ill in 1998, Carolyn moved back to her birth city of Austin, Texas to care for her mother (until her mother passed in 2002). When Carolyn’s health began to further decline in 2017, she moved from Austin, Texas to Hesperia, California where she resided with her son Kevin and his wife Desiree until she transition to be with her heavenly father on September 3, 2018. She was genuinely loved and will be deeply missed by her family and friends.
Carolyn was a devoted wife and loving mother. She is predeceased by her former husband, Thomas P. Kirkwood. She is survived by her two sons, Kevin Paul Kirkwood and Thomas Dewaine Kirkwood-- her four grandchildren, Feon Kirkwood, Kevin, Jr., Thomas Kirkwood, Jr., and Taleshia Hamilton; four great grandchildren, Adonis Johnson, Austin Kirkwood, and Karisma and Kalani Kirkwood and her devoted sister, E. Fay Hamilton of Pflugerville, Texas.
She fought a good fight, ran a good race. May her soul now rest in peace.
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