ROGERS — On Friday, Sept. 11, 2020, Carolyn Sue Wright

departed this pale blue dot peacefully from the comfort of her home. This was fitting considering she was a self-proclaimed homebody. She was 79 years young; full of love and light.

Carolyn was born Jan. 7, 1941, in North Terre Haute, Ind., to Clyde and Ingeborg (Jeannie) Riling in their home on a very cold day, setting in motion her disdain for deep snow and cold weather.

She had careers of homemaker, sheriff’s deputy, welder, waitress and restaurant owner until she finished her degree, later retiring as a Sears Service Center office employee.

She was unafraid of bucking social norms and lived her life to the fullest as a woman of self-reinvention. From a poodle-skirt teen to a fullblown traveling hippie, she gracefully landed somewhere between hippie and connoisseur of casual comfort. Life was too short for uncomfortable shoes!

To know her was to love her. There was no in-between. She didn’t take life too seriously and had wicked sense humor. She could make anyone blush. It could be shocking to hear foul things from such a little, adorable woman, after all.

She had two mantras: “Que Sera-Sera,” and “Stuff Happens,” right up to her last days. Her favorite poem was the “Desiderata,” which she would encourage you to read now. Carolyn was empathetic; always rooting for the underdog, except in football where she rooted for anyone but the Dallas Cowboys. She was resilient, “full of p— and vinegar” and a bleeding-heart liberal. She was never afraid to stand up for social justice or a good cause and helped others in need — a taker-in of strays, if you will.

Though she was not a religious woman, she was spiritual and a believer in the teachings of Jesus and the Golden Rule. She lived these convictions. She loved deep discussions on these topics, the vastness of the universe and the great beyond.

She enjoyed the simple things in life: good books, good movies, good food, good chocolate and cheap coffee (sorry, Folgers). She was a good cook, and an even better baker who could make mouth-watering cinnamon rolls and boozy rum cake so good it could give you the hiccups. You hadn’t had biscuits and gravy until

you had hers. Life changing! Her sweet tooth was dangerously infectious, teaching innocent children to drink milk through fudge-covered grahams, devour cream horns cream first, eat the cherries out of their chocolate coatings, and dunk buttered toast into hot chocolate.

She loved nature, soft breezes dancing through the trees, a good set of wind chimes, sitting outside watching sunrises and sunsets, and gardening flowers, fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately, she did not pass her green thumb on to her family.

She was preceded in death by her beloved father and mother, Clyde and Ingeborg; sisters Norma Jean, Violet, Ruth and infant sister Doris Genevieve; brother Robert Lee; also, cherished husband Lewis Wright; and infant grandson Joshua Shane.

She had unwavering love for the family she created. She leaves behind her adoring and equally strong-willed (stubborn) children Cindy Sue Walker, Jeffrey Shane Starr and Christine Ingeborg Doyle and husband Mike Doyle; as well as her “love you more” grandchildren Julie Anne and Danny Scoggins, Dalana Kaylyn and Michael Garza, Josiah Shane Starr and Irish grandchildren Sophia Niamh, and twin Eoin Andrew and Nathan Kevin; her precious great-grandchildren Dylan Bryce and Caden River Scoggins, Grayson Gabriel Garza and Stella JoAnn Starr; her sister Mary Dart and countless nieces, nephews and cousins. Lastly, her loving partner and friend of over 20 years, Terry Greene, and their not-so-miniature, “barky” dachshund, Bojangles.

Her family has made a blood oath to continue the traditions of singing, “You Are My Sunshine” and “Zippity Doo-Dah” to their babies, pointing out every bluebird they see, pausing for soft breezes in the wind and telling stories of the incredible woman who once was so that her memory will live on forever.

Carolyn was never a woman for pomp and circumstance, nor was she fond of the idea of shedding too many tears over her passing. Instead, she wanted a celebration to laugh and share stories about her full-lived life. Party date pending due to the pandemic; thanks, covid. In lieu of flowers or plants, Carolyn requested donations to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital or The Sierra Club, two charities that were deeply important to her.

Though her family and friends are grieving, she would tell us not to be too sad for long, but to be happy that she’s moved on to her next big journey and that one day we all meet again.