Carolyn Adams Washburn

Carolyn Adams Washburn passed away peacefully on August 31st, 2025, surrounded by her children, her sister Karen, and her mother. She was born on October 17, 1950, in Austin, Texas, to Alden and Anna Adams, the second of six children. She married her eternal companion, Berk Washburn, on May 4, 1973, and together they have eight children.

Carolyn was born in Austin while her parents were finishing their education, and then moved several times throughout her childhood as her father settled into his career. As the second oldest of five sisters and one brother, she spent much of her childhood playing with her siblings. One of her fondest memories was saving money with her older sister, Andrea, to buy a small tea set that they cherished and protected for many years.

Before her kindergarten year in Kearns, Utah, her family moved briefly to New York City. The school-age cut-off in the state of New York placed her in first grade rather than kindergarten, and she would joke that her accelerated education was the reason for her many academic successes.

She was a gifted student who excelled in the classroom as well as in artistic and creative productions at school. By the spring of her senior year in high school, she had won academic scholarships, represented her student body in Washington, D.C., and played a major role in the production of several musical and theatrical festivals. She graduated valedictorian of her class.

She attended Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, majoring in Child Development and minoring in Psychology. At the University, she was again often recognized for her hard work and intelligence. To help pay her way through college, Carolyn worked several summers as a clerk for the US Army. She also spent a summer working at a church camp for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Carolyn was always hard-working and industrious.

She met Berk Washburn while attending BYU. He noticed her for the first time when she gave a talk in sacrament meeting. He was impressed by her confident, articulate, and thoughtful testimony. They were married on May 4, 1973, and thus began their journey into eternity together.

As Berk finished his education, Carolyn supported the family by being the manager at the apartment complex where they lived. She was never afraid of hard work, and surprised the apartment owner by mowing the lawn instead of her husband.

Carolyn was always the organizer. With 8 children, she had to be! She supported her children in a wide range of activities, from band to cross-country, theater, youth activities in church, and late-night science projects. She always had a large calendar and many note-pads around her kitchen to keep everyone’s life running smoothly.

She did all this while remaining active in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She served across the church in many ways, from Relief Society President, to teaching in Primary, to many years of early morning seminary. She did this across many states, supporting her husband in his career in Utah, Ohio, Michigan, and Colorado.

As empty nesters, Berk and Carolyn moved to Utah to take care of her mother, Anna, in St. George. Carolyn always found ways to use her talents to bless others, whether that be through piano lessons, writing, gardening, teaching, or taking care of children.

Carolyn was always connected to her family and friends. She was a great letter writer, and her correspondences over her lifetime shine a beautiful light on her unique personality and spirit. She is survived by her children and their spouses, Eliza, Ephraim (Kimm), Seth (Tiffany), Esther (Brian), Isaac (Katrina), Miriam (Dan), Rebekah (Skyler), and Ammon (Heidi). She is also survived by 33 grandchildren,1 great-grandchild, her mother, her sisters, Janet, Ilene, Karen, and Barbara, and her brother David.

The last few years of her life, she lived across the hall from her mother at Covington Assisted Living. They were inseparable and brought comfort to one another as they both suffered from dementia.

She is preceded in death by her father, Alden, her sister Andrea, and her dear husband, Berk.

Services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel at 464 West Germania Avenue, Murray, Utah, 84123 on September 12th, 2025. A viewing will be held from 10:00 – 10:45 am, with the funeral to follow at 11 am. After the funeral, there will be a short service at the grave site at Larkin Sunset Gardens in Sandy, Utah. The funeral will also be shared through Zoom. We would like to thank Serenicare Funeral Home for helping us navigate this hard time and all of the staff at Covington Senior Living of Farmington and Renew Hospice for the compassionate and attentive care they gave Carolyn.