Carol Ann Piza

Carol was born on June 6th, 1954 in San Jose, Costa Rica to Alfredo and Martha Hale Piza. At the age of four, she moved with her mother to Austin, Texas. She attended St. Austin’s Catholic School and Holy Cross High School, where she graduated as Valedictorian. Upon receiving her Bachelor’s Degree in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin, she then worked for the State of Texas until her retirement in 2015. Just weeks after retiring, Carol was diagnosed with Neuroendocrine (NET) cancer. She was very active at the time and refused to let her diagnosis stop her from doing the things she loved most – taking care of her granddaughters and volunteering with a local feral cat TNR organization.

When faced with this rare form of cancer, Carol did everything she could to learn about the disease and be an advocate and supporter for others facing the same diagnosis. She was active and well known in numerous NET support groups and message boards, and made herself available as a resource to other newly diagnosed patients in the area.

Carol is preceded in death by her parents, Martha Hale Piza and Alfredo Piza, and former husband Richard Gray. She leaves behind daughter Megan White (Bill) and granddaughters Olivia and Sara of Round Rock, Texas; step-daughter Raechel Brundige (Dakota) and granddaughters Alizeah and Calleigh of Amarillo, Texas; sister Laura Vargas and brothers Federico Piza Vargas and Alfredo Herradora and their families, all of Costa Rica; and cousins Tom Paradise III and George Paradise of Colorado Springs, Colorado and Walter F. Murphy of Livingston, Texas.

Her family would like to thank her doctors at Texas Oncology in Round Rock and Hospice Austin for the wonderful and supportive care they provided for her.

Carol’s wishes were to be cremated and her ashes spread at a later date. A memorial service will be held for her later in the summer.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider making a donation to the organization that Carol volunteered with for many years, Central Texas Feline Rescue (https://www.amplifyatx.org/organizations/central-texas-feline-rescue).