Carol Clifford Obituary

Feb 15, 2015: I have been thinking of Carol for the last several months, not knowing that she died in Nov 2013. I had been remiss in not calling or sending her a card obviously even back in 2013...and now I find that she has passed away. Chris, John and Katie...I want to tell you what a difference Carol made in my life. At the age of 51 or so, I started doctoral studies in 1999, moving from CA to KS, not knowing a soul. The first 2 years I lived in an apartment but then I had the good fortune to move into 801 Mississippi. I told Carol that it was because of her that at least 5-6 women had obtained their Ph.D.'s. There may have been more obviously and I believe there was one more woman after me that had the blessing of inexpensive rent and stimulating conversations with Carol. I am and will be forever grateful that my path crossed her path. She was so unassuming, so intelligent, so delightful and such a wonderful role model for women. I am sad to hear of her passing and not know so I could have written earlier or come for services if there was one. However, please know that I sat in that front porch swing and huddled in the baseline for my first ever (and last I hope) tornado. We were together during 9/11 and I sheltered well at her house during my first experience with a 3 day ice storm. I cherish my last visit with her when she was then at Babcock. Always, Dr. Kristin V Lundberg-Medical Anthropologist

I met Carol in August 1984 [nineteen eighty-four]-LITERALLY only my second whole DAY in The United States.I was searching for a place to buy lunch+saw her standing at the door of KU's Foreign Students' Office. She took me to her home at 801 Mississippi Street in Lawrence-just down the road from KU+made me lunch with her own hands because she said: "Honey, the only places open on KU's campus during student orientation weekends are vending machines+you don't want that." I loved+appreciated Carol's tender+sensitive+OPEN-to-strangers spirit+her knowledge+immense skill at "creating" COMMUNITY out of disparate elements-something sorely lacking in the world. She opened her heart not JUST "only" to myself but ALSO to my entire extended family in the warmest+most MOVING way. The Eglinskis-her next-door neighbors-for-decades on Mississippi Street can attest to that experience of Carol. She used to tell me of her first-hand experiences desegregating Lawrence City pool+about how she and her then-husband John would have Walter+Betty Cronkite over for dinners while they lived in Hollywood-where John [her former husband] had been a script-writer]. I knew her in a day-to-day way during the time she worked passionately on helping to pass Simpson-Mizzoli in 1986-with DAILY e-mails and passionate letters written to Congress. I knew her in a day-to-day way when she worked passionately to make sure small businesses in downtown Lawrence would not be crowded out+put out of business by Giant Wal-Mart. In 2003 I "accidentally" bumped in to Tom+Ann Moore-Carol's long-time Quaker friends at Friends' General Conference in Amherst, Massachusetts. She had lost touch with them-so I placed their address in an envelope+mailed it to Carol ANONYMOUSLY so that she might be in touch with them once more-MAGICALLY-in her UNIQUELY Carol-Way. It seemed "magical"+"mystical"+"Carol-esque Spirit" that I would bump into HER long-term friends-persons I know ONLY from Carol's detailed descriptions-decades AFTER I had first heard about them-from Carol's lips. She gave me a glass sculpture of a blue bird-when they were on the edge of extinction+now thanks to her efforts blue bird populations in The Carolinas+other habitats are thriving. She gave me a crystal ball for my first student apartment that brought me hours+hours+hours of ENDLESS delight watching the rainbows in the light. To ME: Carol was exactly like her name: A SWEET Song that made my life brighter+more beautiful.

I will miss Carol so much, we became friends at Babcock when I and she lived there, I use to get her mail for her and we would have a good visit. She was so helpful to me in my last surgery,I know she is in a better place, my sorrow for your loss Chris, John and Katie

I had the pleasure of doing Carols hair for almost 10 years...I will miss our monthly visits. Carol was a kind hearted loving woman and I will miss her.

We will remember Carol so fondly and I think immediatly of her smile. She smiled a lot! My mother, Betsy Webster, always said Carol was "her best friend". She asked me to please send you her prayers and love and was soory that she could not come to see you personally for the services. Her health is fragile. Sending you blessings and peaceful thoughts and wishes. With much aloha, Jennifer Joie and Betsy Webster

Chris, John and Katie, I enjoyed working with your mother and grandmother very much. Carol was a wonderful lady. Memories tend to be where we go for strength, comfort and peace in times like these. Know that you are all in my thoughts and prayers.

I'll always remember Carol from those early Centron days in the 60's when our families all socialized together. Carol was always so nice and impressed me as such an intelligent, vibrant personality. My sympathies, Chris and John.