Carol Jackson Croyle
Carol Jackson Croyle passed away on Saturday, May 4, 2024 at Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California after suffering a spontaneous Cerebellar Hematoma. She was 68 years old.
Carol was born on January 31, 1956 in Franklin, Louisiana to George and Ruth Jackson. She was the middle child of seven children. Carol’s life was profoundly shaped by witnessing a tragic accident that took the life of her youngest brother, Patrick, at an early age.
Carol grew up in Morgan City, Louisiana where she developed an unwavering passion for helping families in underserved communities. Her dedication is encapsulated by her academic career:
– Morgan City High School; class of 1974; summa cum laude
– University of Southwestern Louisiana; class of 1978; B.A. in Speech, Hearing and – Language Science; summa cum laude
– Penn State University; class of 1980; M.S. in Education of the Hearing Impaired; summa cum laude
– Gallaudet University; class of 2010; Ed.S. (Educational Specialist) in Deaf Education; summa cum laude
Carol’s legacy lives on through the children whose lives she changed in the Deaf community. Her selfless roles included:
– Teacher in the Preschool program for the Deaf at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia
– Teacher of the Deaf in the Special Needs Preschool at North Adams Public Schools in Massachusetts
– Parent-Infant Specialist at the Hearing, Speech and Deafness Center in Seattle, Washington
– Program Assistant for the Deaf Mentor Project at Utah State University
– Director of Family Programs at the Utah Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing in Salt Lake City
– Instructor in the Education Department at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC.
Within the Deaf community, Carol was not only a teacher, but also a family counselor and activist.
Carol is survived by her high school sweetheart and husband of nearly 43 years, Bob (Robert Torrance Croyle), daughter Kaitlin Johnson (and her husband Matt) of San Diego, California, son Thomas Croyle (and his wife Lizzie) of Lakewood, Colorado, brothers Ken and Mike, sisters Nancy and Jennifer, many nieces and nephews, and three grandchildren, Everett, Jackson, and Eleanor.
Carol’s perfect evenings were spent laughing around tables of great food and better company. She was known for cooking incredible gumbo and eating raw oysters by the dozen. She stayed up late listening to music and gazing at the stars with her cherished cavapoo, Beignet, with a cold Coca-Cola in hand. By day, Carol’s genuine kindness and curiosity transformed strangers into friends and her presence made the world a more welcoming place. She felt most alive on and off the shores of St. John, USVI, where she combed the beach for shells, snorkeled alongside sea turtles and wrestled with sharks.
Above all else, Carol’s greatest joy was her grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation toward advancing stroke research via the American Stroke Foundation (https://americanstroke.org ) or to the preservation of Carol’s most prized natural wonder in this world via the Friends of Virgin Islands National Park (https://friendsvinp.org ).