"See You on the Trail!"
Carolyn died peacefully at home on Monday February 3, 2014.
During the last week of her life her immediate family and many
friends shared stories and memories of friendship, adventures and
Carolyn's contributions to the world as an educator, community
activist and public servant. Even while living her last three years
with GBM brain cancer, Carolyn's determination, positive attitude
and "all-in" tenacity enabled her to live a quality of life
hundreds of friends and colleagues admired.
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| Carolyn with her younger sister and brother, Gloria and Wendell |
Carolyn was born in Pine Bluff, AR, on September 29, 1942 to
Paul and Montine Dobbs. Growing up in Memphis, TN, as a youngster
she loved reading, exploring the natural world--including riding
her horse, Big Red--and singing Gene Autry and Roy Rogers' songs.
Autry's "Don't Fence Me In" was her favorite--and an omen for a
life of passion for learning, outdoor adventure and social
activism.
After graduating from Memphis State University in three years,
Carolyn completed a Master's Degree in political science and worked
two years as a planner in Kentucky before heading west to enroll in
the Urban Planning program at the University of Washington. In 1971
she became the first female to earn a PhD in the program.
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| Photo courtesy of The Evergreen State College |
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After teaching a year-long experimental Environmental Learning
Community program at the UW, Carolyn joined the faculty at The
Evergreen State College in 1971. In her first year of teaching, she
and her students were instrumental in establishing both the TESC
Organic Farm and the Cooper Point Association. Her 40 year career
at Evergreen included team-teaching with dozens of colleagues as
well as serving as Academic Dean for six years, Interim VP for
Student Affairs for one year and Director of the MPA Program for
two years. Her primary teaching passions were natural resource
management and children's literature.
Carolyn brought all of these interests into her community
activism and service. She chaired Thurston County's first
Shorelines Management Program Planning Committee, served on the
county Planning Commission, was a founding member of the County
Agricultural Advisory committee, was a 16-year member of the
Timberland Regional Library Board, served on the State Forest
Practices Board and, even while going through treatments for her
cancer, completed her terms as a Board Member of both Washington's
National Park Fund and The Vital Ground Foundation.
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| Family photos in November 2013 (pre-Theo) |
Our national parks and wilderness areas--and the wildlife they
protect--were Carolyn's church. Mt Rainier was her cathedral. For
decades, Carolyn hiked, climbed, skied and volunteered in
Washington's national parks. No one was better than Carolyn at
spotting bears on her weekly hikes in Mt Rainier. During the summer
of 2003, at age 60, Mt Rainier National Park hired her as a plant
biologist to work on a native species field research crew. Over the
past decade, grizzly bear and wolverine research and habitat
protection became the focus of her "all-in" tenacity.
Carolyn loved to travel. Internationally, she combined visits
with long-time friends, nature hikes and research in England,
Scotland and Ecuador. The national parks in North America were
destinations for family vacations and/or research every year.
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| Granny napping with dear baby Theo |
Carolyn is survived by her mother, Montine Dobbs of Memphis; her
husband of 42 years, Russell Fox of Olympia; her two children and
their partners: Cedrus Fox-Dobbs and Hilary Seidel of Olympia, and
Kena Fox-Dobbs and Hwakong Cheng of Tacoma; her two siblings:
Wendell and Linda Dobbs and nephew Andrew of Huntington, WV, and
Gloria and Jim Maender of Danville, KY. She was also blessed with
three grandchildren: John Paul Fox-Seidel, Amelia Fox-Seidel and
Theo Fox-Cheng.
Carolyn's final words to several friends who have visited over
the past months are appropriate for everyone who she knew and loved
spending time with: "See you on the trail!" Of course another of
her favorite songs growing up was Dale Evans and Roy Rogers' "Happy
Trails to You."
Making a Donation in Memory of Carolyn
