Carol Joy Blaney Tully was born to Anton and Joy Hookanson on June 26,
1930 in Los Angeles, California.
Camping and hiking in Yosemite with her mother and father as she grew up
gave Carol a fondness for travel and adventure. She also studied piano and
violin becoming an accomplished musician on both instruments. Her love of
music would remain with her throughout her life. Carol learned the details
of business from her working at the commercial laundry managed by her
father.
As a child Carol delighted in dance. She ballroom danced her way
throughout high school, on into college and for many happy years thereafter.
It was in high school dance lessons that she met and danced with the first
love of her life, George Blaney. Later in Carol’s first year at UCLA, she
was stunned to find that the dashing and one-year younger George was a
caretaker and cook at the UCLA Masonic Club where she attended dances
and dinners.
Carol and George were married in August of 1952 in Santa Monica,
California.
Carol and George were blessed with two sons, Roger in 1957 and Jeff in
1959. Carol was a devout and active member of the St. Stephen’s Episcopal
Church in Whittier, California, St. Columba’s Episcopal Mission in Big
Bear, California and Emmanuel Parish Episcopal Church of Orcas Island,
Washington.
Carol was a very busy mother and homemaker from July 1957 to 1976 as
she served not only her Church in many executive positions, but the boy’s
school PTAs, the Whittier Panhellenic Association and also as Elections
Board Inspector for many years.
Another of Carol’s great loves was singing and her crystal clear and
powerful soprano voice was a welcome addition to her church choirs. She
was a skillful violinist and enjoyed her years of rehearsing and concert
performance with her beloved Islands Sinfonia friends.
Carol received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from UCLA in
1952. She worked as a Speech Therapist and in 1976 returned to work full
time as Office Manager at Olson Electronics in Whittier. In 1977 Carol
moved to take the first of many positions, from Membership Officer to
Assistant Treasurer at Courts and Records Federal Credit Union in Los
Angeles.
Carol lost her George in a tragic automobile accident in 1982. It was later at
the credit union that Carol met the witty and charming Bob Tully. Carol and
Bob married and enjoyed camping, dancing and travelling until his passing
in 2009.
Carol and George brought sons Roger and Jeff to Orcas Island and camped
in Moran State Park many times over the years starting in the 1970’s while
the boys were growing up. Carol and Bob’s choice to settle on Orcas Island
was “meant to be” as Carol said often. They were enchanted with the beauty
and peacefulness, and fond of their great view of Cascade Bay and the
neighboring islands. They took great interest in their community, and
experienced much joy in the camaraderie of good friends and neighbors.
A memorial service is to be held at Emmanuel Episcopal Parish Church on
Orcas Island on January 20, 2012 at 1:00 PM. Carol’s family hopes that her
many friends from Orcas Island and beyond will be in attendance.
Carol is survived by her son, Roger Blaney and his wife Carolyn Jacobs and
their sons Bryce and Evan; son, Jeff Blaney and his partner Amy Foldesi;
stepdaughter Mary Tully Gabrielson, stepdaughter Alice Tully Pirtle and her
husband Randy, and their two children Laura and Bryan.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carol’s name to Emmanuel
Episcopal Church of Orcas Island, and the family in particular would like to
request donations of the gift of blood in Carol’s name, in deep gratitude for
the life-giving possibilities that others gave Carol during the final stages of
her leukemia.