Carol Athens

1936 - 2024

CAROL ATHENS
May 6, 1936 - April 12, 2024
Carol Athens, loving mother, grandmother and sister, bibliophile, foodie, folk art collector, pianist, birdwatcher, Bossa Nova aficionado, and armchair expert on Queen Elizabeth, died peacefully in her hometown of San Antonio on April 12, 2024. She was loved and admired by so many whose lives she touched.

Carol is survived by her siblings Henry James Ford Jr. (Denise Elsner) and Jan Ford (Randal Anderson); children Anthony Arthur Athens III (Debra Maltz) and Lucia Elena Athens (Bill Corrigan); grandsons Niccolo Davis Athens (Liu Jiajia) and Benjamin Whitman Ford Athens; great-granddaughter Lili Ziyue Athens; niece Diana Maxwell Cook (Garrett) and grand-nephew Maxwell Henry Cook. She was preceded in death by her son, Max Ambrose Athens; sister, Diana Kathryn Ford; parents Henry James Ford and Helen Mullen Ford; and children's father Anthony Athens Junior.

Carol was a devoted patron of the arts, whether to her grandson Nicco's musical education, the San Antonio Symphony, McNay Art Museum, Masterpiece Theater, or Jane Austin novels. She was a co-founder of the innovative San Antonio Cinema Society, whose purpose was to screen foreign films that were otherwise impossible to see locally. Athens was First Soprano for many years in local singing group the Mostly Madrigal and Merriment Society. An avid reader and corrector of grammatical errors, she was a founding member of the San Antonio Book Group, an assembly of women who needed a good excuse to get together to drink wine and laugh.

Carol was a public servant who worked for many years at the reference desk of the downtown San Antonio Public Library and worked previously in the corporate library at Valero Energy. She helped countless patrons find books and other resources in the pursuit of pleasure and knowledge.
Carol was a legendary hostess who entertained innumerable family gatherings over amazing home-cooked meals. For decades, she baked and decorated incredibly imaginative and fanciful birthday cakes for her children and grandchildren. Her home, ornamented with Guatemalan textiles and Mexican folk art, always left a vibrant impression. Carols's lifelong love affair with the native birds of Central Texas resulted in many back yard birdfeeders and birdwatching trips. She was a devotee of Frida Kahlo and the indigenous traditions of the Southwestern Pueblo peoples.

Many celebrations included people gathered around the piano singing to her accompaniment. She was always there with whatever you needed, whether a hug, encouragement, or support; she covered all the bases. Carol will be deeply missed by all who know her, and never forgotten.
The family would like to thank the staff at The Forum at Lincoln Heights for their dedicated care, and to Lily Gerrish for her devoted help.

A private ceremony of remembrance will be held at a future date. Donations in her honor may be made to Cibolo Nature Center, Texas Chapter of Nature Conservancy, or KLRN/PBS.

You are invited to sign the Guestbook at www.porterloring.com