We remember, celebrate and honor Carolyn Sue Donelow, who passed suddenly on September 13, 2024. She was preceded in death by her husband Robert G. Donelow, mother Bessie C. Johnson, father Marshall V. Johnson, brother Marshall L. Johnson Jr., and brother Darryl W. Johnson. She is survived by her Daughter Crystal K. McLeod and husband Rory Boone, NC., daughter Tammy J. Bowers Kingman, Az., Sister Bonnie Kokal Rockdale, IL., 9 grandchildren and   17 great-grandchildren. 

Carolyn, or Kay as she was known by, was born May 1, 1954 in Oak Hill, West Virginia. She was the baby of the family, ever annoying to and adored by three older siblings; Bonnie, Buddy and Darryl. Kay gave birth to Crystal in 1973 and Tammy in 1975. She met and married the true love of her life, Robert Donelow, in 1979. 

Kay lived a happy, contented life with the exception of the devastating losses of her father Marshall in 1980, brother Darryl in 1985 both her sister-in-law Shirley in March and her mother Bessie in June both in 1986, and her father-in-law Charles Donelow in July,1987.

Though Robert was diagnosed with cancer and they began battling his illness with chemo, they were thrilled when Crystal married in 1989 and gave birth to twin girls in January 27,1990. The joy was short lived as Robert succumbed to his illness just 4 days later on January 31,1990, followed by her mother-in-law Annie Donelow in February,1990.

After those excruciating and overwhelming losses Kay moved to Illinois to be close to her sister Bonnie where she began working at K-mart. She really enjoyed her job and after some emotional healing with the help of Bonnie and her husband Jack, she moved back to Arizona to be near her daughter, twin granddaughters and new grandson. She got a transfer from K-mart and began working at the store in Prescott, Az. After being injured on the job in 1993, she was deemed disabled and was unable to work. 

For the next 20+ years, Kay lived a flighty sort of life, moving to and from Arizona, West Virginia and North Carolina, never seeming to find the comfort and contentment she had with her husband. Despite her wayward ways and dependencies that caused her instability and inconsistency, she loved her family and although she had difficulty in expressing her love and deep desire to be everything her family needed her to be for herself and for them, they loved her immensely and never surrendered the belief that she would someday find the answer to what kept her from allowing herself contentment and happiness and return to them. Regrettably, she left this life more suddenly than she or her family could know and while she never again found fulfillment and contentment in this life, there is no doubt that she has been reunited with her soul mate, parents and siblings who left before her and is now at true peace.