Carson Leonard Starkey

We want to express our immense gratitude for all the love and support you have given us after the loss of our son and brother Carson Starkey. We feel a very powerful message through your outpouring; our hearts have been forever touched. More importantly, we hope Carson's life has forever touched your hearts. We ask your help in keeping Carson's message alive by sharing any and all thoughts you may have about positive ways to spread his goodness.

Together we can make a difference.

Please join us for a memorial service celebrating Carson's life at The Austin Stone Community Church, Sunday December 21st at 1:30 p.m. in the S.F. Austin High School gym, 1715 W. Cesar Chavez, Austin, TX, 78703. With Love, Julia, Scott, and Hayden Starkey 512.474.0858 [email protected]

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Carson Leonard Starkey, age 18, of Austin. He left this life on December 2, 2008 in San Luis Obispo, California where he was attending Cal Poly State University. Carson was born in Austin on April 17, 1990 and graduated from Stephen F. Austin High School in May of 2008.

In such a short life, Carson accomplished much. He looked at the world around him and saw limitless possibilities. He approached life with a practical tenacity that led him to pursue every path that caught his interest with vigor, intelligence and an uncanny intuition. At the young age of three, he first took to the streets on his bike. His cycling culminated in numerous state, national, and international races, but he most enjoyed the rides spent with his family. In high school, he lettered four years on the Austin High tennis team while also running on the cross-country team his freshman and sophomore years, and playing lacrosse his junior and senior years. Carson began running in races and events around Austin at the age of 6, competing in the Capital 10K nine times. He once completed the Capital 10K and a mountain bike race back to back on the same day.

His love for architecture led him to intern at Page Sutherland Page during high school, and ultimately led to his studies in architectural engineering at Cal Poly. Equally, his love for the outdoors resulted in building miles of hike and bike trails in the Hill Country, working on a small farm in Colorado, and trekking part of the Silver Trail in Copper Canyon Mexico. He enjoyed traveling with his family-- whether on ski trips to Colorado, to tennis tournaments across Texas, or learning how to simply relax on the beaches of Jamaica. He earned his Chief with pride at Camp Stewart in Hunt, TX. He attended Outpost Wilderness Adventure in Colorado, developing his skills as an adventure guide. He volunteered for many causes around Austin and in Mexico. On top of all of this, he graduated in the top 10% of his high school class and served on the Austin High Hall of Honor Leaders Council. In a word, Carson was a full-blown participant in life.

His varied life experiences, good nature, and positive outlook led him to develop a wide variety of close friends from all over the country. He was equally comfortable sitting around a campfire with the old folks, getting down in the dirt with the little kids, or experiencing Austin with his buddies. He was forever bolstered by a strong family that consistently played, worked, laughed, cried and lived together. He was best friends with his brother and parents, well-grounded, realistic, hard working, fun and compassionate. In every relationship, he gave more than he received. Carson will always be remembered by family and friends as a shining example of the right way to live and love life.

He is survived by his loving family: parents Scott and Julia Starkey of Austin, brother Hayden Starkey of the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, grandparents Jennie Karotkin and the late Leonard Karotkin, Jr. of Houston and Hal and Mary Elizabeth Starkey of Austin, Aunts and Uncles Lise Hudson and husband Jim, Leah Karotkin and husband Albert Bronson, cousins Cade and Callie Hudson and Alyson Sanguily.

Pallbearers are Lee Campbell, Max Greenblum, Cade Hudson, Travis Long, Will Lowry, Colin Perkins, Danny Wallace, Ben Walsh and Preston Watson. Honorary pallbearers are David Appleton, Mark Colthorp, Jim Dingel, Kerwin Overby, Ryan Sullivan, Richard Tsukano, and Tracy Warren.

Arrangements are as follows: Visitation is Sunday, December 7, from 5-7p.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar. A private burial will be held in Austin with a public service on Monday, December 8, at 2p.m. at Tarrytown United Methodist Church, 2601 Exposition Blvd. A reception will follow at Westwood Country Club, 3808 West 35th Street. A memorial service will be announced and held during the holiday break to accommodate friends who may be away at college. This service will be open to all who wish to attend.

If you wish to make donations in Carson's memory, please consider the following organizations: Explore Austin (www.exploreaustin.org) at Austin Explore Program, P.O. Box 50470, Austin TX, 78763, or The Carson Starkey Scholarship Fund at Austin Community Foundation (www.austincommunityfoundation.org) at P.O. Box 5159, Austin TX, 78763. For questions, please call Liz Watson at 512-750-5003