Cover photo for Carolyn McDaniel's Obituary

Carolyn McDaniel

July 13, 1943 — December 16, 2021

Carolyn McDaniel


 Carolyn Elizabeth McDaniel was born in Raleigh, North Carolina on July 14, 1943 to Ezra Weiss
McDaniel and Elizabeth Rowe McDaniel. Shortly thereafter, she and her mother returned to
McGregor, TX, to live in her maternal family's home while her father served in the Navy during
World War II. They remained there after his service where Carolyn attended the McGregor
schools through high school while working in her father's restaurant there. After graduating,she
briefly attended the University of Texas at Austin before entering the workforce, including
high-end ladies' fashion in Austin, Bell Helicopter in Dallas and as a local travel agent.

While attending a Texas A&M football game, Carolyn met Dr. Milton McDaniel and they soon
began dating and fell in love. They were married on December 21, 1967 and Carolyn moved to
Bryan where she resumed her education, graduating from Texas A&M with a BA in Elementary
Education followed by her MA in Library Science from Sam Houston University. Armed with the
knowledge and skills these degrees conferred, she began teaching in the Bryan schools,
beginning in Bowie Elementary, then moved over to the position of Elementary SchoolLibrarian,
in which role she served for eighteen years until she retired from Bonham Elementary in 2010.
Though they had no children of their own, through her tireless efforts to make reading come
alive, Carolyn's impact in the lives of thousands of children and adults across the Brazos Valley
was immense and lifelong.

Carolyn shared with Milton a passionate love of Jesus Christ her Savior, and sought to show that
through her dedicated service to her local churches, first St. Paul's UMC in Bryan then Christ
UMC in College Station, where she regularly sang in their choirs, attended Sunday School and
Women's Bible studies, and supported various local ministries and overseas missions.
Carolyn was a member of numerous local organizations and supported a number of charities,
including Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra, The Woman's Club, Brazos Valley Retired School
Personnel, Bryan-College Station Newcomers Club, as well as served as a Docent at the Bush
Library for many years. She and Milton established scholarships in their names at Texas A&M in
the colleges of Education and Agriculture.

Epitomizing all the best characteristics that could be found in a true Southern Belle, Carolyn
loved to entertain and was well-known for her lavish meals, which she insisted on cooking
herself. She loved to travel, having been to South America, Australia, Europe, Canada and the
Holy Land as well as from coast-to-coast across her own beloved US.

Carolyn is preceded in death by her beloved husband and parents, and is survived by her
maternal cousins Robert Lyon (wife Judy), William Lyon, and Gayle Eidson (husband James), her
"Family of Choice" (David and Carol Pope, Robert and Stephanie Pope and son Evan), and
innumerable children whom she loved and encouraged throughout her years in the classroom
and library.

A Memorial Service will take place at Christ United Methodist Church on Thursday, January 6,
2022 at 11:00 a.m. Graveside services will take place the same day at Evergreen Cemetery in
Woodway, Texas at 4:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations may be made to:
Hospice Brazos Valley
Christ United Methodist Church
Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra
George and Barbara Bush Foundation
Texas A&M Foundation

Milton and Carolyn McDaniel Charitable Trust, ℅ the Community Foundation of the Brazos
Valley

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Carolyn McDaniel, please visit our flower store.

Past Services

Celebration of Life

Thursday, January 6, 2022

11:00am - 12:00 pm

Christ United Methodist Church

4201 Hwy 6, College Station, TX 77845

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Graveside

Thursday, January 6, 2022

Starts at 4:00 pm

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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