Carlene Elizabeth Economy

Carlene Economy, reported for duty at Heaven's bluegrass band, on June 10, 2020. Born February 11, 1938 in San Antonio, she was a Texas girl to the core. She graduated from Incarnate Word High School in San Antonio, and earned her Certificate of Employee Benefits Specialists certification from Wharton School of Business.

Funeral Service: Sunday, June 14th at 2:00 PM at Rhoton Funeral Home, 1511 South I-35E, Carrollton, TX, with visitation, music and fellowship to follow. She will be laid to rest at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery in a private ceremony.

She married Tom Economy and his military service took them to Corpus Christi and Austin, before settling in Dallas in 1962. After raising her children, Carlene went to work at SMU as a research administrator. In 1980 she had the opportunity to start a new career at E-Systems, which later became Raytheon. She retired from them in 2000 and was the first female Director in the history of the Company.

After she retired, she helped her husband, Tom, with his accounting business, until they retired in 2009.

In 2001, Carlene first heard an autoharp. Having played piano since she was a child, she was immediately intrigued, and found Cecil White, to give her lessons. From that first lesson, many, many friendships were born that lasted her lifetime. Tom and Carlene traveled and played music with Jeff and Ann for a year, and rarely was there a music, bluegrass or old-time festival where Carlene could not be found. Whether playing autoharp, or dobro, or clogging to others music, Carlene’s vivacious and gregarious personality, made you an instant friend!! For almost 20 years, every January found Carlene at Harps, Hammers and Friends, a group of friends that gathered yearly to play music, enjoy friendships and just be together. Mother’s Day weekends were spent in Glen Rose at the annual Lone Star State Dulcimer Festival, and Thursday nights were “jam night” for a group of special friends.

She leaves behind her husband of 65 years: Tom Economy, daughter: Gwen Mansfield and husband, Eddie; son: COL Tom Economy, US Army, Retired, and wife Pandora; Grandchildren: Chad Mansfield, Scott Mansfield and wife Megan, J.B. Economy and wife Carli, Carson Economy, Martina Kaiwi and husband Chris McDowell, Sisters-in-Law: Tenya Fitz and husband Eddie; Constantina Economou and husband Josh Bacon; Brother-in-Law: Richard Economy, extended family, and music friends and families too numerous to mention.