Florence I Carvajal

Florence Isabelle Carvajal , age 87 passed away peacefully on March 21, 2025 in San Antonio. Florence was a beloved sister, aunt, and great-aunt and great-great aunt and the daughter of Frank Zepeda Carvajal and Florence Leal Carvajal.

She attended St. Henry’s Academy High School and then entered Our Lady of the Lake College/University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1958 and a Masters in Education with specialties in Administration and Supervision in 1969. She also earned Texas State Certificates in Administration, Supervision, Superintendent, and Bilingual Education.

Florence started as a first-grade teacher in the San Antonio Independent School District at Esther Perez Carvajal Elementary School in 1958. During the following thirty three years in Education: she was selected in 1968 to teach Science in Spanish in a first of its kind research project from the University of Texas to address bilingual education in the State of Texas; she also taught in Venezuela and Stockton, California; was a consultant and Project Manager at the Education Service Center, Region 20 in San Antonio; developed and directed the Education Department at the San Antonio Zoo where she talked and demonstrated with animals and animal artifacts to schools, teachers, and other groups; appointed in 1974 as the Principal of Wilber J. Knox Elementary School followed by appointments as Principal to Muriel Forbes Elementary, Charles C. Ball Elementary, Smith Elementary and Benjamin Franklin Elementary; she retired with thirty three years of service, sixteen of them as a Principal, from the San Antonio Independent School District and the Texas Public School System in 1992. After retirement, Florence worked as a curriculum consultant for the following textbook publishers: McMillan-McGraw Hill, DLM SRA, and Houghton Mifflin.

She enjoyed extensive travel throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South America. She served as a catechist at St. Philip Parish and Saint Paul Parish; as a Eucharistic Minister, Lector and Cantor at San Fernando Cathedral; a Eucharistic Minister to the elderly and homebound at Chandler Nursing Home and Adorer of the Holy Eucharist. She was a volunteer at Providence Home for Children Infected or Affected by Aids, Battered Women’s Shelter, and Big Brother and Big Sisters and CASA. Florence was a member of The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem whose primary mission is to support and protect the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

Florence enjoyed calligraphy, puzzles, watching detective/mystery shows, word puzzles and Neil Diamond. She was an avid baseball fan which included the Little League World Series and her favorite MLB team was definitely the Yankees. Florence sent very thoughtful learning opportunities to her nephews and nieces.