Carol Ann Colvin

1936 - 2010

Carol Ann Colvin, 73, passed away Monday, July 26, 2010, after battling the debilitating effects of diabetes for many years. Funeral: 10:30 a.m. Friday at Peace Lutheran Church, 941 W. Bedford Euless Road, Hurst. Interment: Later she will be laid to rest with her mother and grandparents in Matador. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, memorials in her honor will be greatly appreciated to the scholarship fund at Peace Lutheran Church to support children in elementary education. Reading and teaching were the loves of Carol's life. She was always on the hunt for a good read and nothing brought her more joy than watching a child discover the world through the pages of a book. She had a distinguished career as a teacher and administrator with the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district, where she touched the lives of many students and co-workers. Carol received her B.A. and M.A. in education from the University of North Texas. She began her career teaching first grade at Donna Park Elementary and West Hurst Elementary. Later, she worked as an elementary consultant for the district. She pioneered the gifted and talented elementary program and the English as a second language program. In 1992, she became coordinator of language arts. She was instrumental in bringing the International Baccalaureate Program to Bell and Trinity high schools. Carol received the "Administrator of the Year" award from the Association of Texas Professional Educators. She co-edited "The Mind's Eye," a juried magazine open to anyone in the H-E-B district to submit poetry, stories, essays, art, cartoons or music. She produced and directed A Teacher's Line, a performing group of teachers and administrators who sing and dance in a parody of the Broadway musical "A Chorus Line." Although she retired from the district in 2001, she continued to work part time as a reading teacher until 2006, first at Lakewood Elementary and then at Stonegate Elementary. Carol was born Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 1936, at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., to Lillian and Frederick Gordon, an Army Air Corps staff sergeant. She graduated from high school in Spur and received a degree in drama from Texas Tech University. She married Gene Colvin, an Air Force test pilot, in 1957. The couple had two sons, Lawrence and Eric, before moving their family to Bedford in 1963. Carol was a passionate fan of the Dallas Cowboys. She loved dogs, especially the little ones. She also hosted bunko games at her house for her many friends. She admired Robert Redford and enjoyed the music of Neil Diamond and the Eagles. Carol once told Eagles frontman Don Henley, "If you ever wanted to rob liquor stores in Oklahoma, I'd be happy to drive the get-away car for you." Survivors: Sons, Lawrence Colvin of Weatherford and Eric Colvin and wife, Lois, of Lathrop, Calif.; grandchildren, Monica Colvin of San Jose, Calif., Mitchell Colvin of Modesto, Calif., and Kevin Eric Colvin of Lathrop, Calif.; brother, James Gordon and wife, Sharon, of Oswego, Ill.; and niece, Nicole Gordon Torres and husband, Jaime, of Montgomery, Ill.