Carolyn Starkey, 64, oldest daughter of Lawrence Bowers and Eyeliene Fields Bowers, was born Feb. 3, 1943, at Independence, Kan. She died July 20, 2007.
A former resident of Collinsville, Okla., and Andover, Kan., she lived at Yukon.
She grew up and attended school at Wichita, Kan., graduating in 1961 from Andover, Kan., High School. She was active in vocal and instrumental music and drama. Throughout her life, she was a gifted vocalist, pianist, artist, cook, seamstress and enjoyed many other skills. She loved animals of all kinds and traveling.
She married James Dean Gillett in 1961 at Murphy, N.C. They lived in Wichita and Andover, Kan., before divorcing in 1977.
She worked at a variety of jobs, helping to support and raise her son. She was a member of the Westside Church of God, where she was a member of the choir.
She married Rodge Douglas Starkey May 28, 1977, in Wichita, Kan., at the WSU chapel. They had met a year earlier in Wichita.
In 1983, they sold their home and moved to Slidell, La., both working in New Orleans. They lived in Tel Aviv, Israel, for a year, where she polished her culinary skills; learned to read, write and speak Hebrew, worked at the Hebrew University and traveled throughout the Holy Land, Europe and the Mediterranean.
In 1987, they returned to the U.S., working in Fort Worth, Texas, and selling their home in Slidell. They sold their Fort Worth, Texas, home in 1991 and moved to Troy, Mich., continuing to work for General Dynamics. When their work ended there in 1991, they returned to Wichita, Kan.
Mrs. Starkey went to florist school in 1993 and opened a flower shop in Collinsville, Okla. She sold the shop in 1999.
While in Collinsville, she joined the Collinsville Community Church, where she was choir director.
In 2003, they retired to Yukon to the peaceful setting of an oak forest, deer, turkey, opossums, raccoons and rabbits roaming their yard.
She was diagnosed with diabetes in 1991, COPD in 2006 and arthritis in 2007.
She was a member of the Raymondville United Methodist Church.
Surviving are her husband; her mother of Tulsa, Okla.; sister, Phillis Sires of Tulsa, Okla.; son, Randall Gillett of Andover, Kan.; two grandchildren and her pets.
Memorial services are 4 o’clock today (Thursday) at the Raymondville United Methodist Church with Maggie Kramer officiating under the direction of Evans Funeral Home.
Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association, American Diabetes Association or Arthritis Foundation.
