Carol was born in Macon, Georgia on August 1, 1929 to Julian Thomas and Ruth Greene Stewart. She grew up there and in Miami, Florida. She later attended Florida State University where she was a majorette and performed at halftime of the school’s first ever football game. Carol soon followed her beloved brother, Julian “Ditty”, to the University of Georgia from which she graduated. It was during her college years that she met her lifelong friend, Dorothy Thorpe. After college the two of them ventured all over the country working as camp counselors, teachers, and flight attendants.
Carol soon married and started her family. Her family lived in Dallas and Los Angeles before eventually settling in Richardson, Texas, and Carol began her 35 year career teaching elementary age children at The Lamplighter School in Dallas. Her love for educating young children would become her passion that she enjoyed all of her life, and, indeed, she was involved in some facet of children’s education until she was ninety years old. After becoming an empty nester in 1984, Carol and Dorothy again embarked on an adventure all over the country in Dorothy’s camper.
After retiring from Lamplighter, Carol moved to Grand Lake, Colorado in the late 1980s. Over the next 25 plus years, Carol met many dear friends and neighbors in Grand Lake and would always consider this her home. She initially worked as a ski instructor at the Winter Park Children’s Ski School. She worked at the ski school in different capacities for a number of years before returning to the classroom at her local elementary school in Granby. She also enjoyed all that was part of the Grand Lake community; hiking, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, and volunteering at the Rocky Mountain National Park, the Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre, and the Juniper Library. She made lots of memories there in her little red cabin with her children and grandchildren along the way as well.
Carol was preceded in death by her parents, her brother, Julian T. Stewart II, her son, Michael Miller, and her granddaughter, Christine Thorpe. She is survived by her children, Linda Paez and husband, Dan, Kathy Thorpe and husband, Pat, and Kevin Miller and wife, Stacey. She is grandmother to Alex Paez, Julian Paez and wife, Madison, Jason Thorpe and wife, Sarah, Jeremy Thorpe and wife, Brytni, Michael Thorpe and partner Vanessa Gutierrez, Zachary Thorpe and wife, Alex, Logan (Miller) Zabasky and husband, Collin, and Dait Miller and wife, Rachel. She is also survived by her eight great-grandchildren, Peyton and Bevin Thorpe, Olivia, Marley, and Finley Thorpe, Maverick and Crue Thorpe, and Bowen Zabasky along with nieces, Carol (Francey) Crawford and husband, Dennis and Debbie Francey, nephews Terry Francey and wife, Nan and David Francey and great-niece, Erin Francey.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Carol’s favorite for youngsters of all ages, Rocky Mountain Repertory Theatre. https://www.coloradogives.org/organization/rockymountainrep
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