Obituary of Carolyn Turner Waters

Alice Carolyn Turner Waters died peacefully on May 7, 2019 in the home of her daughter Susan in Mansfield, Texas. Mrs. Waters was born in Houston and was a long time resident and community volunteer in Tyler. She was preceded in death by her husband of 58 years Paul Rodgers Waters and daughter Ellen Rodgers Waters Olson. She is survived by her daughters Lynne Turner Waters and spouse Clayton H. W. Hee of Ahuimanu, Hawaii, and Susan Waters Hunt, spouse Gregory M. Hunt, and her beloved grandson Turner Waters Hunt of Mansfield, Texas. Also surviving her are brother and sister-in-law Robert D. Turner and Anne Turner of Sessay, Thirsk, North Yorkshire, U.K., and their two children, Tom Turner and wife Maura of Dedham, Massachusetts and their children, and Alicia Turner Chantry and spouse Justin Chantry of London, England, and their children.

Mrs. Waters was a graduate of Lamar High School in Houston. She earned her B.A. in Romance Languages with Honors at The Rice Institute (Rice University), where she was a member of The Elizabeth Baldwin Literary Society, the Phi Beta Kappa honors society, Pi Delta Phi, and Sigma Delta Pi. She went on to earn her M.A. with honors in Spanish Literature from Southern Methodist University. She was a member of MENSA in Tyler.

She had a versatile career as a teacher, bank officer, petroleum land woman, and television executive and had an extensive community profile through volunteerism.

Mrs. Waters earned her Teaching Certificate and taught Spanish in the Austin Public Schools System and later in the Tyler Independent School District and Texas Eastern University, which later became the University of Texas at Tyler. After working some years in oil and gas land titles and bank marketing, she was part of the management/ownership group that founded KETK – TV 56 (NBC) and held positions of Community Relations Director, Promotions Director, and Director of Programming. After retiring, she served as programming consultant and Grand Opening organizer of the CBS19 affiliate established in 2004.

A decades-long communicant, volunteer and worshipper at Christ Episcopal Church, Mrs. Waters was the first female Lay Reader at Christ Episcopal and was on the Founding Board of Directors of the Christ Episcopal Church East Texas Choir School. Mrs. Waters was active in many civic, public service, and cultural organizations. She served on the founding steering committee and as a charter Board member of the East Texas Food Bank; and on the boards of the Literacy Council of Tyler, CASA for Kids of East Texas, Inc., and the Hospice of East Texas. A United Way volunteer and loaned executive, Women’s Division Chairman, and Marketing Committee Chairman, she received the Betty Hurt Nelson Service Award in 2000. She was also a volunteer and/or member of the Junior Leagues of Tyler and Dallas, the Women’s Symphony League, The Texas Rose Festival, Friends of the Tyler Library, and PATH. She won the Texas State Library Association’s outstanding project award for creation and execution of “The More You Know About Texas” reading and essay contest in 13 East Texas Counties.

Services will be held at Christ Episcopal Church on Friday, May 24 at 10:00am. In lieu of flowers, donations in her memory may be made to PATH or to Christ Episcopal Church in Tyler, or to any charity of your choosing.