Carol June Walker Papso

Born in Corpus Christi, TX on December 22, 1958 to Shirley and Joseph Dudgeon Walker Jr. Moving to Houston shortly after, she grew up with her two siblings, Elise and Dudgeon, while experiencing all that the Briargrove area had to offer. Her childhood largely involved trips to Rockport for fishing and hunting, swim team, caring for her grandparents, summer camps, flag football, arrowhead and rattlesnake hunting with her father, and year-round Christmastime preparations that set the foundation for the service-driven and nurturing life she lived. After graduating from Robert E. Lee High School, she attended the University of Texas where she would become a lifelong Longhorn - an unfortunate rival of her future Buckeye husband and Aggie children.

Carol started a medical career at St. Joseph's Hospital in Houston utilizing her degree in Microbiology after college. After a few years, she shifted to a career in HSSE for Texaco Lubricants where she would meet her future husband of 38 years, Rick. Her tenure at Texaco was during the golden years of the Houston energy corridor - she was a proud athlete representing the 5 time national Champion Texaco team for Challenge and Battle of the Corporate Stars. These corporate games built the foundation of her friendship network that still stands strong today.

After Rick and Carol were married on November 12, 1988, they had their first two children - Kyle (36) and Caitlin (34) before the difficult decision was made for Carol to retire and take on the most challenging role as head of household moving to Boston in 1993. While Boston is their favorite house together and added our first golden retriever Scarlet to the family, Carol and Rick went on to a "buckeye-loving" chapter in Columbus, OH in 1995 where they had their last child, Cassidy (30). In 1997, the now-complete Papso family settled in Sugar Land, TX where they built their lives up until present-day. After the passing of Carol's parents, Rick and Carol were instrumental in rebuilding the Walker family farm located in Sealy, TX - a home Carol is proud to have created for the younger Walker generations and where she spent the majority of her final 15 earthly years.

Carol selflessly supported Rick's career, but that never meant she would stay stationary - Carol utilized her talents regularly as a 30-year swim coach, Carol Vance prison ministry volunteer, political servant, Sunday School educator, elite athlete, and community leader. She had a heart for service, willing to give the shirt off of her back for anyone in need. She spent most of her life overseeing and directly-supporting friends and family in the midst of either illness or misfortune - no effort was too much. Despite the weight of her commitments, she was always the life of the party and loved nothing more than live music with a good bourbon and diet coke with her best friends Kim, Dawnie, Lisa, and cousin Barbara Anne (to name a few).

As Hurricane Harvey impacted her beach home in Rockport, TX, she didn't think twice before offering her home as safe haven for any displaced community members and their pets - another selfless effort that earned her a "Hurricane Harvey Haven" sign from the community that still hangs today on the house. In her recent years, she became highly involved in the dog rescue world, donating substantial time and funds to ensure she saved all of the dogs she could before being euthanized. She is known to have saved hundreds of dogs personally, transporting them all over the country to meet loving families and escape the horror of Houston's kill shelters she advocated so strongly against. If she wasn't able to find a home, she'd be sure to sneak them into her farm in Sealy and later let Rick know they had another "unwanted" to love on!

Carol will be remembered for her loyalty to those who valued her, her unwavering sense of self, and her spit-fire attitude towards anyone that felt otherwise. She will be remembered as a mother who did it all, a wife who gave more than she asked for, and a friend that always had your back in this life or the next. She will be remembered as a devoted family historian and a true Houston native. She will be remembered as a mind thirsty for news, a hand open to servitude, a stomach thirsty for a good margarita, and a heart beating for her grandchildren Madison Papso, Sophie Hathcote, and Aubrey Hathcote.

Her family would like to thank everyone that supported Carol and her family during this unexpected and difficult cancer journey as she passed at home.

Our grief is vast and compounded as we must now face life without Carol on this earth. She will be missed more than words can convey, but her family is at peace knowing she knows no more pain or anguish at the feet of Jesus in Heaven. She is survived by her husband and best friend Rick, son Kyle and wife Brittany, daughter Caitlin and better-half Matt, daughter Cassidy and husband Jacob, grandchildren Madison, Sophie, Aubrey, and baby girl on-the-way, brother Joseph Dudgeon Walker III, sister Elise Sidles, and every dog rescued by Carol's efforts.

Friends are invited to a visitation with the family from 12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, the 26th of June at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford.

Friends are invited to a visitation with the family from 5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Friday, the 26th of June at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, the 27th of June at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel at Earthman Southwest Funeral Home, 12555 South Kirkwood Road in Stafford.

In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Carol's name can be made to Houston Dog Rescue. (https://spot.fund/DogHeroCarol)