Obituary of Carolyn Elizabeth Dobbs

Carolyn Dobbs died peacefully at home on February 3, 2014. During the last week of her life, her immediate family and many friends shared stories and memories of friendship, adventures and Carolyn’s contributions to the world as an educator, community activist and public servant. Even while living her last three years with GBM brain cancer, Carolyn’s determination, positive attitude and “all-in” tenacity enabled her to live a quality of life that hundreds of friends and colleagues admired. Carolyn was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on September 29, 1942 to Paul and Montine Dobbs. As a youngster growing up in Memphis, Tennessee, she loved reading, exploring the natural world, including riding her horse Big Red, and singing Gene Autry and Roy Rogers songs. Autry’s “Don’t Fence Me In” was her favorite–and an omen for a life of passion for learning, outdoor adventure and social activism. After graduating from Memphis State University in three years, Carolyn completed a Master’s Degree in political science and worked two years as a planner in Kentucky before heading west to enroll in the Urban Planning program at the University of Washington. In 1971, she became the first female to earn a PhD in the program. After teaching a year-long experimental Environmental Learning Community program at the UW, Carolyn joined the faculty at The Evergreen State College in 1971. In her first year of teaching, she and her students were instrumental in establishing both the TESC Organic Farm and the Cooper Point Association. Her 40-year career at Evergreen included team-teaching with dozens of colleagues, as well as serving as Academic Dean for six years, Interim VP for Student Affairs for one year, and Director of the MPA Program for two years. Her primary teaching passions were natural resource management and children’s literature. Carolyn brought all of these interests into her community activism and service. She chaired Thurston County’s first Shorelines Management Program Planning Committee, served on the county Planning Commission, was a founding member of the County Agricultural Advisory committee, was a 16-year member of the Timberland Regional Library Board, served on the State Forest Practices Board and, even while going through treatments for her cancer, completed her terms as a Board Member of both Washington’s National Park Fund and The Vital Ground Foundation. Our national parks and wilderness areas–and the wildlife they protect–were Carolyn’s church. Mt. Rainier was her cathedral. For decades, Carolyn hiked, climbed, skied and volunteered in Washington’s national parks. No one was better than Carolyn at spotting bears on her weekly hikes in Mt. Rainier. During the summer of 2003, at age 60, Mt. Rainier National Park hired her as a plant biologist to work on a native species field research crew. Over the past decade, grizzly bear and wolverine research and habitat protection became the focus of her “all-in” tenacity. Carolyn loved to travel. Internationally, she combined visits with long-time friends, nature hikes and research in England, Scotland and Ecuador. The national parks in North America were destinations for family vacations and/or research every year. Carolyn is survived by her mother, Montine Dobbs of Memphis; her husband of 42 years, Russell Fox of Olympia; her two children and their partners, Cedrus Fox-Dobbs and Hilary Seidel of Olympia, and Kena Fox-Dobbs and Hwakong Cheng of Tacoma; her two siblings, Wendell and Linda Dobbs; and nephew, Andrew of Huntington, West Virginia, and Gloria and Jim Maender of Danville, Kentucky. She was also blessed with three grandchildren, John Paul Fox-Seidel, Amelia Fox-Seidel and Theo Fox-Cheng. Carolyn’s final words to several friends who have visited over the past months are appropriate for everyone who she knew and loved spending time with: “See you on the trail!” Of course another of her favorite songs growing up was Dale Evans’ and Roy Rogers’ “Happy Trails to You.” In lieu of flowers, Carolyn would have recommended a donation in her name to Washington’s National Park Fund for the Carolyn Dobbs Environmental Science Grant fund, The Vital Ground Foundation for preservation of wildlife habitat in the North Cascades, or your local public library system for their children’s programs and literature collection. Additional information may be viewed on Carolyn’s web site at www.carepages.com. Please leave memories of Carolyn or condolences for the family in the Guestbook below.