Carolyne Burleson

Carolyne Burleson was welcomed to eternal life on Wednesday, December 21, 2022. A celebration of life will be held Tuesday, December 27th, 1:00 pm at Columbus Avenue Baptist Church with a reception to follow.

Carolyne was born on April 18, 1931 to Malcolm Charles and Julia Mettie Sampler Starkey in Altus, Oklahoma. She graduated from Altus High School in 1949 and attended Oklahoma Baptist University on a full Presidential Scholarship where she studied piano. As a member of a girl’s trio, she performed with the famous Bison Glee Club under the direction of Dean Warren Angel including a memorable appearance at the Southern Baptist Convention in Miami, Florida.

After transferring to the University of Oklahoma, she met her future husband, Ed Burleson Jr. and graduated in 1954 majoring in Choral Directing. While at Oklahoma, she accompanied the OU Men’s Glee Club, highlighted by an appearance on the Ed Sullivan television show. Following their marriage, on July 2nd, 1954, she and Ed lived in Bryan, Texas and Topeka, Kansas, before settling in Waco.

Her work life included tenures at Bryan Airforce Base Operations and KWTX Television. She was an active member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church and the Mixon Sunday School Class, The Junior League of Waco, the Thursday Study Club and the Waco Garden Club. Her hobbies and interests included, gardening, Impressionist art, travel, and cheering on the Baylor Bears.

Carolyne left an infinite legacy of music through her remarkable talent as a pianist. She is remembered for countless solo performances around the Waco and Texas region as well as work in the Haskett-Burleson 17 piece Big Band, the Waco Jazz Orchestra, and the Burleson-Graves combo. She enjoyed playing piano all the way through recent weeks at home for family, friends, and her beloved team of caretakers lead by Soynia Childers

Carolyne is preceded in death by her husband Ed and her son John. She is survived by her son, Charles and his wife, Julie; her five grandchildren, Jim, Scott, and Meg Burleson (their mother Debra), Rachel and Andrew Burleson; her two great grandchildren, Lucy and Jane; her sister-in-law, Mary Sue Westmoreland (husband Jim); and nieces, Susan Whiteford and Laura DeVega.

Memorials may be made to Larry Vanlandingham Scholarship at Baylor University, Waco Symphony Foundation, or the Alzheimer’s Association.