Carolyn Jeanette Offenback

July 22, 1942 – August 26, 2021

Carolyn Jeanette Offenback, 79, of Portland, Oregon passed away peacefully from cancer at Tabor Crest Memory Care Facility.  She received excellent care by the staff at Tabor Crest and Providence ElderPlace, who treated her more like family.

Carolyn was born July 22, 1942, in Rome, Georgia to Leila (Robinson) Pace and Joseph “Buster” Pace.  After that marriage ended, Carolyn’s mother, Leila, married Carl Hamrick in 1945.  Carl raised Carolyn as his own daughter and was the only father she ever knew.

She lived most of her adult years in central Illinois, where she studied nursing at Methodist Hospital School of Nursing, graduating on May 26, 1963.  She spent a couple years of her career at Peoria State Hospital and then returned to Methodist Medical Center where she practiced oncology nursing.

She married Richard “Dick” Offenback on April 7, 1963.  He precedes her in death.  She is also preceded in death by her parents and half-sister, Carla Brigati.

Surviving are one daughter, Lori (Bob) Crews of Portland, Oregon; two sons, Richard Jr. (Tammy) of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and Bill (Brandy) of Fortson, Georgia; one half-brother Mike Hamrick of Cartersville, Georgia; and six grandchildren.

Carolyn was recently asked what she would like to do if she had no limits.  She replied that she would like to “visit Heaven.”  She loved God so much.  There were times when there was a lull in conversation due to her suffering from memory loss.  Those lulls were sometimes filled with playing and singing hymns and she remembered the lyrics and would tap her hand with a big smile.  Music was a means of connecting with her.

Another means of connecting was to take her a Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae when paying a visit.  If it was forgotten, with a twinkle in her eye, she was quick to remind that the visit could be more special if she had that scrumptious treat.

There is never a good time to say goodbye, but she was blessed to receive visits from long distance family and friends the week before she passed away and we were blessed by her smile, humor, and love.

Cremation will be accorded.  Burial will be at Fondulac Cemetery in East Peoria, IL following private services.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to:  Providence ElderPlace at Laurelhurst, Attn: Thomas Stoelting, 4540 NE Glisan St., Portland, OR 97213.