Obituary: Carolyn Yvonne Looney

Obituary: Carolyn Yvonne Looney

carolyn looneyCarolyn “Care” Yvonne Looney went home to her heavenly Father on Monday, December 3, 2012, after a courageous battle with cancer. She fought the adversity of her last days as she had fought throughout all her life, with a sweet and inspiring positivity. Carolyn was a person of admirable resilience and tenacity, which she displayed in the pursuit of her every dream.

Carolyn was born on September 21, 1980, at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, and lived her first two years in the Washington, D.C. area. She completed her early education in San Antonio, Texas at Hidden Forest Elementary School and Eisenhower Middle School. Throughout these years, Carolyn enjoyed spending summers at the ocean in Aptos, California and demonstrating her bold creativity during summer art classes. She graduated from Winston Churchill High School in 1999, excelling in science courses. She was extremely loyal to the Charger Band as a clarinetist, and was recognized with the “Takes a Lickin’ and Keeps on Tickin'” award.

Compelled by the love that started at an early age for the maroon and white, Carolyn persevered through first-year rejection to become part of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2003. She was actively involved at Texas A&M University in College Station as an officer in the Bonfire Coalition for Students, an organization dedicated to returning the famous Aggie Bonfire to the campus after its tragic collapse in 1999. She was also an avid fan of Aggie sports and a firm believer in the power of the Aggie Network. She graduated in 2004 with a degree in Bioenvironmental Science.

Since that time, Carolyn had been engaged in a sustained struggle to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher. She felt the greatest thing in the world was “that moment when you saw the light bulb go on in someone’s head” in a moment of teaching.

Carolyn served as an intern at a camp for special needs children at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, and as a counselor in the North East Independent School District’s (NEISD) Kids Involvement Network, an after-school program. She worked as a dedicated substitute teacher for NEISD since 2007, primarily in science, math, and special education. She also served as a valued tutor in the Math Lab at St. Philip’s College, where she was known as “Yep” for her eagerness to contribute in any way she could.

Born with a severe hearing loss in one ear, Carolyn was empathetic with and most drawn to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community, where she intended to spend her teaching passion. Carolyn largely taught herself American Sign Language (ASL) and had only to complete the student teaching portion of her master’s degree in Deaf Education at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, Texas to realize her teaching dream.

Though her master’s degree was not yet complete, Carolyn left this world most decidedly a teacher, and is remembered for the genuine and simple way she sought knowledge and wisdom and the opportunity to share them with others. She is also remembered for her strikingly beautiful blue eyes, soft sweet voice, kindness, selflessness, enthusiasm, and fondness for koalas. Along with the sciences, Carolyn had a keen interest in history, including Aggie traditions and family genealogy. She was a member of the Bexar County Czech Heritage Society and visited the Czech Republic. She also greatly enjoyed frequenting the TexAgs website to keep up with her Ags.

Carolyn was predeceased by grandparents, Charles and Pauline Dobrovolny of Bryan, Texas and Rosalie Looney of Fresno, California, and her aunt, Jane Dobrovolny Bremer of Lubbock, Texas. She is survived by parents, Charles and Paula Looney of San Antonio, Texas, younger sister, Elaine, of Houston, Texas, and grandfather, Charles Looney of Fresno, California. Surviving aunts and uncles and their children are Sarah Dobrovolny of Bryan, Texas; Scott and Chiara Dobrovolny of Bryan, Texas and their daughter, Shelby; cousins Ben Bremer of Bryan, Texas, Betsy Bremer of Galveston, Texas, and Bradley Bremer of Austin, Texas; Blair and Elizabeth Looney of Fresno, California and their children, Tristan, Teya, and Brandy; and Hutch and Cheryl Looney of Chatsworth, California and their daughter, Elizabeth.

Carolyn’s family extends their deepest gratitude for the professional skill, kindness, and love demonstrated on a sustained basis by the doctors, led by Dr. Scott Ulmer, nurses, and support staff of the Methodist Stone Oak Hospital during Carolyn’s hospitalization.

Funeral services for Carolyn are set for 11 a.m. Saturday, December 8 at Memorial Funeral Chapel in Bryan, Texas with entombment following in the Msgr. Gleissner Mausoleum at Mount Calvary Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, December 7 at the funeral home. In addition, a memorial service will be held on Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 2 p.m. at First Church of the Nazarene, 10715 West Avenue, San Antonio, Texas.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Texas Woman’s University for the Carolyn Yvonne Looney Scholarship in Deaf Education and mailed to the Texas Woman’s University at P.O. Box 425618, Denton, Texas 76204-5618. Checks should be made out to TWU or you may contact TWU at 940-898-3863 to make a credit card gift.

Published in Express-News on December 7, 2012

SOURCE:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/sanantonio/obituary.aspx?n=carolyn-looney&pid=161523717&fhid=7600&

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