Carolyn Campbell Denton

Carolyn Campbell Denton, loving mother, grandmother and great grandmother, passed away peacefully early Monday morning, December 14, 2020, in McKinney, Texas. She was the center of our family; witty, fun, caring, compassionate, and talented on many fronts.

Born in Bonham, Texas on September 4, 1932, Carolyn Campbell was the younger daughter of Malcolm McDonald Campbell and Mildred Neville Campbell.

Carolyn spent most of her first sixty years living in Bonham, except for a short period when she was a young girl when her father was stationed in Massachusetts. After returning to Bonham, she excelled in school, skipping a grade and graduating from Bonham High School at the age of 17. She went to college at Washburn University in Topeka, KS where she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority and where she studied education and camping leadership.

She returned to Dallas, Texas where she was employed at Dr. Pepper Company at the original office on Mockingbird Lane. In June 1952, Carolyn married her high school sweetheart, Joe Denton, Jr. She primarily raised their three young daughters (three under three years of age) Cathy, Jane and Jody, due to Joe’s demanding work schedule at the family’s business, Wise Funeral Home.

Carolyn was civically active in Bonham, primarily around activities with the girls. She taught Sunday School many years at First Christian Church and later at the First Methodist Church. She was a leader for both Blue Birds and Camp Fire Girls and assisted with candy sales for all three daughters’ groups.

When their daughters were in high school and junior high, Carolyn bought a local business, The Gift House, where she filled the store with china, crystal and gifts for local brides, birthdays, anniversaries, graduations and unique gifts for children. She proved to be an astute businesswoman with a thriving entity. During that time, Joe and Carolyn built their dream home on Lake Bonham where Carolyn became an avid fisherman with her dear friends and hosted large family and friend gatherings for July 4th, her favorite holiday.

When the girls entered college, she sold the business to allow for more frequent trips to Ft. Worth and Dallas and to enjoy plays at the Dallas Theater Center with friends. In 1992, she and Joe sold their home on Lake Bonham and relocated to Plano. They were active members of Custer Road Methodist Church where Carolyn volunteered weekly in the office for over fifteen years.

They spent their later years in Plano, Dallas and most recently at Teresa’s House in McKinney, where she lived with Joe and her furry companion, Millie, at her side. Carolyn was predeceased by the love of her life, Joe Denton, on October 24, 2020, who she was married to for over sixty-seven years; her parents, Malcolm and Mildred Campbell and her only sibling, Martha Ellen Campbell Kennard. She is survived by her daughters: Cathy Denton Taylor (Jimmie), Jane Denton Jones (Rick) and Jody Denton Cooper (Paul). She was ”Grandmommie” to her four grandchildren, Abigail Jones, Allison Jones Weaver (John), Denton Muse (Haley) and Ben Muse and four great grandchildren: Jones Weaver, Mac Weaver, Margot Weaver and Collins Muse. She is also survived by her only nephew Robert “Rusty“ Kennard (Betsy) and only niece, Julie Kennard Gardner (Mike) and five great nieces and nephews. Our family would also like to extend its greatest appreciation for the exceptional care of loving family friend Leslie Engelmann and caregivers Joe Johnson and Daneen Ransom and the caring, compassionate staff of Teresa’s House, specially Godwin Dixon and Teresa Whittington.

Due to the current corona virus environment, the family will have an outdoor memorial and interment at Willow Wild Cemetery, 1220 W. 7th Street, Bonham, Texas on Tuesday, December 22 at 11:00am. Friends and family are welcome but are asked to social distance and wear masks.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Joe and Carolyn’s favorite charity, ‘Chloe’s Pet Rescue.’ Chloe’s is a 501 (c) 3 charitable organization and can be found at www.chloespetrescue.org.

A graveside service for Carolyn will be held Tuesday, December 22, 2020 from 11:00 AM at Willow Wild Cemetery, 1220 W 7th St, Bonham, TX 75418.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.teddickeywestfuneral.com for the DENTON family.