Jessica Mae Carpenter

Jessica Mae Carpenter (née Wilson) died at her home in Round Rock, Texas on Thursday, September 10th, 2020 at the age of 42, owing to complications from her four-year battle with Stage IV esophageal cancer.

Jessica was born on January 30th, 1978 in Topeka, Kansas. She attended St. Matthew Catholic Grade School, Hayden High School, St. Mary College, and graduated from Kansas State University in 2001 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education. She married her then long-term partner Aaron Donohue Carpenter in Topeka, Kansas on December 18th, 2004 -- in total they enjoyed 23 years together.

He and their pet Turtle “Master and Commander Far Side of the World” survive, though they are heartbroken by her absence. Other survivors include Jessica & Aaron’s immediate family members: Joyce Metevier, John Metevier, Isabel Metevier, Allison Metevier, Emily Metevier, and Olivia Metevier of Round Rock, Texas, Jessica’s father Thomas Lee Wilson (Kansas), mother Bonnie Groves-Brown (Maryland), sisters Staci Dwyer (Kansas), Michelle Ricks (Missouri), Taylor Wilson (California), and Kathleen Wilson (Kansas), Jessica’s exceptional mother-in-law Kimberly Carpenter (Wisconsin), and numerous nieces, nephews, stepfamily members, and brothers-in-law. She was preceded in death by her pets, Spot, Rabbit, and Freddy Frog.

A 20-year career educator, Jessica was a Special Education Resource Teacher (K-5) at Brookhollow Elementary School in Pflugerville, Texas, after having taught briefly in Topeka at St. Matthew. Jessica’s greatest joy was in sharing stories and lessons with her students, all of whom she considered to be important and valuable individuals, each with the ability to achieve beautiful life stories of their own. Teaching was her mission. Certified for ESL, Special Education, and Art, Jessica also was the Science Coordinator, a Pflugerville Education Foundation Grant Winner for her innovations in bringing technology into the classroom, and the Pflugerville ISD 2011-2012 Teacher of the Year.

Jessica was also an accomplished painter, sculptor, and illustrative artist, a voracious reader of literature and novels of manners, and an avid fan of pop culture, procedural, science-fiction, fantasy, and supernatural genres across motion picture and television. As a well-known patron of the Austin, Texas comedy community, specifically Master Pancake Theater, Jessica was highly regarded for her uplifting sense of humor and supportive, effervescent nature. She was the personification of “Good Vibes Only”.

As a staunch advocate for equal justice, equal rights, voting rights, the right to guaranteed access to healthcare and bodily autonomy, the right to guaranteed access to quality education, and freedom from creeping fascism and tyranny, Jessica encouraged people to remain actively informed at the local, state, and federal levels, and to vote in every election, every time, as though their life depended on it, because often it does.

The people in Jessica’s life remember her as a devoted teacher, parental figure, collaborator, provider, and loving soul who encouraged them to find the silver linings, always keep fighting, and pursue lives free of regret. Attempting to list here the full scope of her impact to humanity would be to consume newspaper at such a rate that it would deforest the planet while also guaranteeing limitless solvency for the entire print journalism industry. She saved the world, a lot.

Meanwhile, in Pflugerville, a public visitation is scheduled for Sunday, September 20th, 2020 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home & Cemetery from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with a funeral procession and graveside service immediately following.

COVID-19 pandemic safety protocols, including a mandatory mask policy, temperature scanning, and social distancing will apply. A virtual memorial streaming service will be available the week following, see details on Jessica’s “Good Vibes Only” page. Charitable donations may be directed to Donors Choose at https://www.donorschoose.org/ . The family would like to thank Jessica’s entire medical team, especially the physicians, nurses, and staff of Texas Oncology for their expert knowledge, technical prowess, methodical recordkeeping, and loving touch. They extended a three-month diagnosis into four years of rewarding life, and we are eternally grateful.