Obituary of Helen Carson

Helen Carson, loving mother and wife, elementary school librarian and adventurous traveler, passed away March 15. Her family was by her side. Helen, 80, was diagnosed in 1994 with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Five years later, she was placed on full-time oxygen, and valiantly fought the disease until the end. She refused to let COPD define her later years and continued to go to the theater, with husband Donald, as recently as February - even though it was a struggle to make it from the car to their seats. Long-time Tucson residents, Helen and Don married in Tucson on October 19, 1954, and recently celebrated their 61st anniversary. One of Helen's favorite memories was when they first met, recalling that she flirted with him at a 1953 UA baseball game. They married one year later and moved to Watertown, N.Y., where Don served in the Air Force, and had their first child. They moved several times during the early years as Don pursued a career in journalism. In 1966, the couple and their three children returned to Tucson, where Don started a 30-year-stint at the UA Journalism Department. As a faculty wife, Helen returned to school and graduated in 1971 with a bachelor's degree in education and then took graduate library sciences courses to become accredited as an elementary school librarian in 1974. While attending school, she was always home for her children. She would be there each morning before they headed out to school and made a point to be home when they returned each day. As a school librarian, she worked at Homer Davis Elementary School from 1974 to 1977, and Borman Elementary from 1977 to 1979 and 1983 to 1984 after a two-year leave to care for her ailing parents. She then worked at Lineweaver Elementary as a part-time librarian, where she continued until 1990, when she retired so that she and Don could travel. The pair traveled through Latin America, visiting Colombia, Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, as well as Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala and Mexico. Among the many highlights was a trip across Lake Titicaca, one of South America's largest lakes and the world's highest navigable body of water. They spent a spring semester in London, where Don was a visiting professor, and also traveled to Ireland, France and Belgium that year and through Scandinavia, Russia, France, Portugal, Spain and Italy on another trip. She enjoyed the turmoil of a crowded bus, entertained by a strolling guitar player as it traveled through the busy streets of Mazatlan or Guadalajara, Mexico, and is fondly remembered for weaving through crowded streets to take great photographs of the Otavalo people in Ecuador. The family also traveled extensively throughout the U.S., frequently visiting San Diego and Denver, and camping in western National Parks. Summers were spent in different cities because Don worked at different newspapers each summer. As the family moved every summer, Helen made sure that everyone was happy in their temporary homes. In the last few years, she enjoyed her book club, cheering on the Wildcat basketball team and attending the theater and theater classes. Together, they had three children, Theresa Fortney, who lives in Virginia with her husband, Robert; Mike Carson, who lives with his wife, Leah, in Phoenix; and Susan Cormier, who lives in Colorado with her husband, Craig. They have five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. A memorial mass will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 19, at St. Odilia's Catholic Church, 7570 N. Paseo del Norte. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to Helen's favorite charities: Indian schools, Franciscan Friars and Make Way for Books.