Mary Carolyn Ulrickson

Carolyn passed away peacefully at the age of 83 years old in her sleep with her beloved cats in her lap after a lengthy illness. She was born in Madison County, Texas and lived in Bedias Texas until after World War II when she and her parents moved to Graham, Texas due to her father’s job with Sinclair Oil. Her family then moved to Gainesville, Texas while she was in highschool and she graduated from Gainesville High School in 1959. She took an early interest in music, mastering the piano and the saxophone. Throughout her school and college years, she played the saxophone in the school bands. She also played the calliope in a Gainesville Community Circus. She became an advanced jazz and classical piano player and loved to share her talents. Music was always a part of her life and she instilled her love of music in her children and grandchildren.

For college she attended Texas Christian University in Fort Worth Texas, where she was a member of the marching band, and North Texas State College, (University of North Texas) in Denton. She was one of the first women to be admitted to the Jazz Lab Dance Band at North Texas State College. Although she wished to major in music, at that time it was not permitted for women, so she majored in education with a focus in music. After she graduated, she accepted teaching positions in 1st, and 2nd grades in the Dallas area. As a teacher, she was one of the first to mainstream a wheelchair bound student. The student was born with Spina Bifida and able to function in a normal classroom with accommodations. She realized the student’s potential, and fought for him to be included in her classroom. Carolyn became lifelong friends with this student and his parents and an early advocate for inclusion of students with physical disabilities and special education services. This led to her serving on the board of directors of the Houston-Bay Area United Way for more than a decade.

In 1962, she met her husband Rick during the Texas / OU weekend in Dallas. They married in McKenny, Texas, March 23, 1963. Carolyn retired from teaching in 1966 following the birth of her first child, however she took an interest in local and national politics and joined the Dallas League of Women Voters in the mid 1960’s and eventually became the president of the Dallas chapter, and the Vice President at the State level. She resigned from the LWV in 1974 after she and her husband and children moved to Seabrook Texas in 1973 and she began working on her master’s degree in psychology, being in one the first groups of students enrolled in the newly formed University of Houston-Clear Lake City campus.

In 1976 she began working with the firm M. David Lowe Staffing Services in Houston, a recruiting and temporary job service. This job led her to a long term career that suited her very well. In 1979 she got hired as staff at her alma mater as the Director of the Placement Center at The University of Houston-Clear Lake in Clear Lake City, Texas. She loved sharing career advice and helping students secure work after college. In 1988 she accepted a job as the Director of Career Services at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas. It was her dream job. In addition to her formal responsibilities, she enjoyed sponsoring the Tau Beta Sigma Music Sorority students and an International Students Association, many of whom she was friends with until her passing. She retired in late 2004 and Moved to Crosby Texas to be close to her children and grandchildren, March 2005.

In her later years, she enjoyed her grandchildren, gardening, volunteering at her church, researching genealogy, sewing, needlework, and her cats. She also found companionship with Rev. Richard (Dick) Jenkins, with whom she shared a passion for the ministries of the Methodist Church. They were married from April 12, 2014 until his passing on Thanksgiving night, 2022.

Carolyn is preceded in death by her parents William Harrington Myers and Lillian Pearl Reynolds, along with her brothers William Donald Myers and James Howard Myers, and her older sister Marjorie who died in childhood. She is also preceded in death by her late husband Oliver (Rick) Holmes Ulrickson and then Dr. Richard (Dick) Jinkins III.

Carolyn is survived by daughter Amy Beth Ulrickson Law and her husband Leonard Ray Law of Crosby, Texas, son Christopher Holmes Ulrickson and his wife Julie Trang of El Lago, Texas. She is also survived by her 5 grandchildren, Zoe Trang Ulrickson of Kansas City, Missouri, Ian Christopher Ulrickson of El Lago, Texas, Katherine Elizabeth Law of Crosby, Texas, Liv Kristen Ulrickson of El Lago, Texas and William Ray Law of Crosby, Texas. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews and cousins whom she loved as brothers and sisters. She is also survived by her best friends of 57 years, Charles and Alex Jackson.

In her life, Carolyn touched the lives of thousands of people. She instilled a strong sense of helping others in her children by her example. Like in life, she is still helping students in her passing. Her last wish was for her remains to be donated to Texas A&M Health Sciences Center. Her Children made sure her wish was fulfilled. Carolyn was a leader of people and would go out of her way to help anyone, especially Children.

A Memorial Service celebrating her life will be held at Lake Houston Methodist Church in Huffman, Texas on Sunday, May 18th at 3pm. In lue of flowers she wished for donations to be made to Lake Houston Methodist Church in Huffman, Texas.