Carolyn was born in Rosston, Oklahoma March 12, 1935. At the age of four, she migrated to Mabton, Washington because of the “The Dust Bowl” in Oklahoma.
She attended Mabton School District for twelve years and graduated as valedictorian of her class in 1953. On September 6, 1956, she graduated from the School of Nursing at The Deaconess Hospital in Spokane, Washington. On September 8, 1956, wearing the wedding dress she made, she married Louis Phillip Carrillo. They moved to Tampa, Florida where she began her nursing career in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Tampa General Hospital. She retired in 1991 after 35 years of service.
She has been a member of First Baptist Church of Tampa since 1956, where she taught Sunday school and chaired the Women’s Missionary Union. She loved babies and the sight of a child would make her eyes light up. She enjoyed hospital visitation with her husband, and they enjoyed traveling across the United States visiting family and site seeing.
On their engagement cake, Louis wrote “Greater Love Hath No Man That He Lays Down His Life For a Friend – I Am Your Friend” (John 15:13) He held true to those words as he lovingly cared for her in sickness and in health.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Effie (Crigler) Rice.
She is survived by Louis Phillip Carrillo, her devoted husband of 61 years. Two sons, Michael P. Carrillo (Jeanene) and David H. Carrillo (Pam). Twelve grandchildren: Jeff Carrillo (Arionna), Tiffany Balogh (Paul), Phillip Carrillo, April Carrillo, Daniel Carrillo (Kimmy), Nathanael Carrillo (Mary), Eryn Moore (Granville), Jonathan Carrillo, Lillian Carrillo, Lucille Carrillo, Mary Thomas and Matt Thomas. Two great grandchildren, Peyton and Rylee Balogh, her sister, Marilyn Skidmore, and two brothers, Richard Rice and Ron Rice.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 13th from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service at 10 a.m. at First Baptist Church of Tampa, 302 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606. Interment will take place at Florida National Cemetery at 1:30 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Missions Program at First Baptist Church of Tampa, 302 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606.
