Carolyn Crowley Rice

Carolyn Crowley Rice passed away July 19, 2017 at her home in Grants Pass. In October 2014, Carolyn was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig ’s disease which has no known cure. ALS is a “wasting disease” that robs the body of voluntary movement as muscles deteriorate while leaving mental faculties largely intact.

Carolyn Lee Crowley was born March 2, 1938 in Prosser, Washington to Emmit and Dorothea (Thompson) Crowley. At the age of five her family moved to Portland where her parents supported the war effort. In 1945, the family moved to Ashland where Carolyn, the eldest of four children, and her siblings grew up. She graduated from Southern Oregon State College (now SOU) in 1960 with a Bachelor’s Degree, later receiving her Master’s Degree in Humanities from SOSC. She married Kenneth Williams in 1959 and they moved to Grants Pass in 1960. They divorced in 1989.

Carolyn began her career teaching English at Grants Pass High School in 1960. She taught until 1966 at which time she resigned to raise a family. She returned to teaching in 1975 and taught English, Art, and History at GPHS until 1998 when she retired. Carolyn’s special enthusiasms for language, for philosophy, and for logic were well used. Besides Shakespeare, her favorite writers include Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman and Elizabeth Browning.

After retirement, Carolyn devoted much of her time to art. She concentrated on ceramic sculpture, preferring animals, especially dogs, cats and fish. Carolyn served on the boards of the Josephine County Library, Grants Pass Museum of Art and Josephine County Library Foundation. She was also a working member of several professional and community organizations.

On June 29, 1996, Carolyn and Donald K. Rice were married. They shared a secluded valley near Murphy until 2007 when they decided their valley was more suitable for a younger family and moved into Grants Pass. They travelled often within the Americas, Europe and Asia. She is survived by her husband, Don; daughters, Cathlin Bennett and Heather (John) Murphy; son, Ryan (Dianne) Williams; sisters, Marilyn (Woody) Brock and Linda (Jeff) Taylor; four granddaughters, Morgan, BaiLee, Brenna and Erin; three grandsons, Darius, Dashiell and Liam; two great-granddaughters; Emmalyn and Finnley; many nieces and nephews; and many, many friends and former students. Her brother, Michael and first husband, Kenneth, died before her.

At her request, no services will be held. A private remembrance will be held at a later date.