Carol Mason Parker was born in El Paso, Texas on May 9, 1948, to Hilde (Grunebaum) and Lee Mason, may their memories be a blessing. She was predeceased in 1983 by her first husband Charles Lowenberg, in 2021 by her younger sister Linda, in 2024 by her second husband Jimmie Choate Parker, and in April, 2025, by her stepdaughter Judith Ann Parker, may their memories be a blessing. Carol is survived by her stepson John (Billie) Parker; grandchildren Jamie Dyer, James Laurie, Franklin (Alex) Parker, Robert (Crystal) Williamson, Saffron Angelique (Mike) Brown, and great-grandchildren Zoe, Drake, Jamison, Mia, Otis, Aden, Adelais, and August; by cousins Rabbi Yitzchok Adler, David Adler, and Stuart Adler; and by many friends too numerous to name. Carol was a first-generation American, a daughter of Holocaust survivors, and a lifelong Texan. She worked for many years as an attorney for the state of Texas and later became an educator for law students. She and Jimmie were the loves of each other’s lives and shared 37 happy years of marriage filled with many adventures and travels, before they settled in Horseshoe Bay to be closer to family.
Carol would remark that the totality of our lives is not what we do—it is who we are. Carol was a woman with a razor-sharp mind who loved needlepoint, reading every genre of book, and playing mahjong. She was a passionate supporter of the El Paso Holocaust Museum, serving on its board for many years and helping to guide its growth. She was also involved in the Needlepoint Guild, Red Hot Stitchers, and active at Temple Mt. Sinai of El Paso where she became an adult Bat Mitzvah. She had recently joined the Philanthropic Educational Organization in Horseshoe Bay and was involved in the local Democratic organization. Carol loved word games and regularly played Words with Friends and swapped Wordle results with loved ones. Carol and Jimmie were lifelong dog lovers, with pictures of their past pets lining the walls; in the last few years their beloved rescue Sylvie provided great comfort and gentleness during challenging times. Carol was a loving and generous friend who mixed a mean grasshopper, served a perfect cheese plate, and was constantly stitching Christmas stockings or Tallis bags for her grandchildren (she had just completed a stocking for Otis) and other art pieces for relatives and friends. She was always able to make the people around her feel seen and heard. She was a dedicated, loyal, and loving friend, and will be deeply missed by all who knew and loved her.
Carol will be buried at Mount Sinai Cemetery in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, June 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM.
