Carol Rogene Harper

Carole Rogene Harper, born Carol Rogene Fields, born on the 25th of August 1950, in Witchita, Kansas, the second child of the late Louis and Fern Fields, and sister of Roger Fields, passed away at home on Monday, the 21st of November 2011, surrounded by her family, after a six-year battle with breast cancer.

She is survived by her husband of twenty-nine years, Tom Harper; children, Kristine, Tiffany, John, and Warren; step-son, Neil; and brother, Roger Fields.

Carol grew up in Kansas and later moved to California where she majored in music at Sacramento State College. She was a world-class pianist and organist, besides being first-chair flute and playing piccolo in the marching band. She was a software developer by profession, and, after working at the State of California for nine years, helped launch BMC Software in 1981. She loved being the mother of her children, and attended all of their events and offered her advice as well. She conceived of and built Brown’s Gymnastics at I-10 and Beltway 8, the largest gymnastics facility in the United States. She homeschooled her sons for a number of years, and even after she was diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer in 2005, she continued traveling and being supportive as long as she was able to do so. She can never be replaced, and will be missed by all that knew her.

In lieu of customary remembrances, Carol requested that contributions in her memory be directed to Pets for the Elderly, via their electronic website, www.petsfortheelderly.org.