Carolyn Rodee Carlson

Mother, sister, Gma, Gam-Gam, and great grandmother, she was our hero; humble and extraordinary. Connie grew up in Coronado with six brothers and sisters. While her father, Rear Admiral Walter F. Rodee (Ret.) was away at war in the Pacific, Connie was at her mother's side, fighting the war at home, helping to raise her younger siblings, and turning off the lights at night to thwart any aerial attack. She was only 11 years old. These early years of protecting her family never waned. She went off to college at 16 with her older sister where she graduated from Mount Saint Mary's in Los Angeles with high honors, earning a scholarship to Fordham University in New York for a master’s degree in social work. But her duty to family prevailed; in 1950 she returned to Coronado to work at Convair to support her family while her father continued his military duties. At the end of her life, Connie’s siblings remembered her generosity gifting them bicycles, sponsoring their tennis lessons, buying her sister a beautiful dress; luxuries she wanted to bestow out of kindness and without regret for her own missed opportunities.

When she became a mother of six, her extraordinary character was on full display. When our father retired from the Navy, our mother went back to work at an electronics company and quickly became indispensable. Her strong work ethic and warrior spirit propelled her, even though she was considered "middle aged" when she returned to work as a mother of six. Revolutionary in those days. She urged us to be involved in sport, attending endless wrestling, lacrosse, football, soccer, and softball matches.

She extended this spirit to her grandchildren, attending dozens of their high school and college soccer and football games, including the Navy/Notre Dame game in San Diego at age 88. Connie loved to knit and made each child, grandchild and great grandchild feel special by knitting a blanket in their special color using a complicated basket weave stitch. We lost our sister and her daughter Virginia in 2011. Even in her terrible grief, she led us with strength and certain resolve that she would see her once again.

Our mother also traveled the world with an adventurous spirit. She rode through the High Sierras on a mule, hiked in the alpine country of Switzerland, Italy, Montana, Canada and beyond. She enjoyed the great art, architecture, and fine wines in Italy, she attended the ice sculpture festival in Japan, and took many trips with her beloved sister Catherine. Thumbing through her photos, one can see her deep appreciation for the natural world and its beauty.

This love of nature is why we could not move her out of her home in the later years. Her garden was her sanctuary. We could sit back there for hours, in the warmth of the sun, watching the birds come and go, the hawks swoop in, and the cherished succulent garden that was checked every day for the appropriate level of moisture.

Our mother's house was our safe place. We would gather there for every occasion and stay as long as we could. And now we continue the traditions that she so quietly instilled. We support our family members in the military, we straighten the flag in the yard, we water the succulents, we hand pick our Sees candy, we call her sisters and catch up, we attend each other's sports events, we meet in the yard and in the wilderness, we travel, we make the worthy sacrifice, we make the perfect poached egg, we turn off the lights, we nail the word jumble, we feast on Tommy’s jambalaya, we are humble and we try to be extraordinary. All of this will be her legacy. Sweet Carolyn. So good. So good.

She was pre-deceased by her daughter Virginia Elizabeth, her husband Elmer Pete Carlson, her sister Elizabeth ("Bits") Metzger, her brother Walter ("Bud") Rodee and is survived by her five children, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Services will be held at St. Therese Catholic Church, 6400 St. Therese Way, on January 21 at 11:00 am with nearby reception to follow.

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Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.goodbodymortuary.com for the Carlson family.