Carolyn Jean Osborne Fosdick

Carolyn Jean (Osborne) Fosdick

February 19th, 1939 - June 7th, 2023

Carolyn Jean (Osborne) Fosdick, 84 years old of Dove Creek, Colorado passed away early Wednesday morning, Jun 7, 2023 surrounded by her three children. Known as Carol to most, she lived a life of pursuing beauty and encouraging others to do the same. She was born to Cecil Freeman Osborne and Buena Caroline (Dewey) Osborne and was raised in Pueblo, Colorado, where she graduated from Pueblo Centennial High School and attended Colorado State Pueblo when it was still Southern Colorado Junior College. She then transferred to Colorado State University in Fort Collins where she finished her Bachelor Degree so she could be an art teacher. This is where she met the love of her life, Raymond Patterson Fosdick Jr, through her only brother Frederick Dewey Osborne.

She soon married her best friend and partner in crime Raymond Patterson Fosdick Jr, on December 22nd, 1962. This would be a partnership in love and adventure for almost 55 years. This union included building a house, raising a family, and running a ranch with cows, pigs, chickens, and many other animals but most importantly horses. Carol’s art reflected her love for horses and when health could not let her ride anymore Ray made sure that she still had a lot of involvement with them.  The two of them saw the North American continent together and had the type of love that cannot be put into words. They settled in Dove Creek and became interwoven into the community.  All three of their kids, Carol Marie, David Raymond, and April Dawn were born, raised, and graduated from Dolores County High School. 

She was passionate about art having done thousands of drawings, paintings, pottery, ceramics, and leather work to name a few types. She was a novelist writing and publishing five books. She was a teacher and taught everything from Art to History to English to thousands of students over her 35 years of teaching.  She was a lifelong learner attaining her Masters Degree from Santa Barbera University through distance education, when this was rare and there was no internet. 

Carol looked and found beauty in the world in things that most people would not give a second glance to. A distorted crooked piece of driftwood from Lake Powell became her canvas in lieu of a pristine canvas.  She painted and drew pictures of run-down barns, twisted trees, and discarded train cars because they held character and history.  Her best skill was her ability to blend colors in a way you could feel the piece of work in our soul.  As a teacher, the guidance counselor and principals would direct the hardest and most unmanageable students to the various classes she taught.  Often these students became her favorites and they found success in her classes.  These students would come back and see Carol as adults often crediting her for them having a positive experience in High School.  She was heard to say I don’t teach Art, I teach young people.

Her brother Fred and his children Nathan, Shanna, and Bill also held a special place in her heart and she took pride in being called Aunt Carol. Many family trips and hunting adventures were spent with her brother and his family and Carol loved to talk about those memories. She always encouraged her niece and nephews to achieve their dreams and she felt she had her own special bond with all three.

Carol believed with her whole heart that Colorado was the best state in the best country in the world. She wanted to model and teach the importance of freedom and democracy to every generation she taught.  She believed that this was worth fighting for and hoped up to her last breath that her grandchildren’s grandchildren continue to live in a free country. 

Carol was preceded in death by her husband Ray, her parents, Cecil and Buena, her brother Fred and many other loving friends, family, and students.

She is survived by all three of her children who she loved with every fiber of her soul. Carol also loved who her children chose to marry, having many lively conversations with all of them.

Her oldest Carol Marie Howell (Rob) of Dove Creek, CO and Carol were always a team. Carol was always there without question to support her, including always helping Carol Marie with her kids. Both determined fighters in their own way, they tended to be the same: emotional yet strong to the core.

Her son David Fosdick (Holly) of Greeley, CO was her comic relief and he teased and joked with her up to her last day.  One of the last conversations she had about Dave was telling his wife that he was her troublemaker child, with a big grin spreading across her face.

Her youngest daughter, April Castillo (Mace) of Evans CO, was her sounding board and the one she would share her continued hopes and dreams with.  April is without a doubt the most like Carol of the three children and the two often could be found having long, involved, and never ending philosophical conversations.

Seven Grandchildren also survive Carol. 

From Rob and Carol Marie came William “Billy Ray” (Jaque) and Shilo (Michael Messier). Running down to Grandma’s and Grandpa’s was common for Billy Ray and Shilo - and so many memories were made of painting, talking, singing, and playing. After Billy Ray was born, Carol would rush home and scoop him up to rock him under the fan in the front room. She adored the little bundle who she watched grow up into an inquisitive, helpful, and curious person who was eager to learn what Grandma had to say about history and family ancestry. Shilo was Grandma’s little soulmate who had such a similar taste in style as Carol, that Grandma could never go wrong in buying gifts for Shy. Many a moment was spent between the two in the kitchen having fun talks while they ate crackers with spray butter and listened to the Bellamy Brothers blaring in the background. So many fond memories were also made when they would go get Grandma’s hair done in Cortez (of course with the obligatory stop at Walmart and Dairy Queen on the way home).

From Dave and Holly came Natalie, Kaitlyn “Katie” (fiance Brian Baxter), and Sydney.  Carol was thrilled with Natalie's love for horses and her ability to draw. Many of the visits to Dove Creek involved playing with Horses and later helping Nat learn how to shade and make her drawings more life-like.  Carol and Katie had a really special bond, especially in the last few years.  Carol and Katie would do arts and crafts together and discuss ancestry and work on the family tree.  Carol was used to being the listener and with Katie she got to share her thoughts and opinions. Carol and Syd’s relationship was similar to Carol and Dave's.  Syd was Grandma’s comic relief and shared her love for animals. When Carol moved to a place that would not let her take her beloved cat, Honeybun, Syd convinced her parents to give her a home where she happily still lives to this day.

From April and Mace came Raymond “Raymos” and Anaya. Both children were able to get to know their grandma over the last five years and listened to many stories she had to tell about her past. Carol anticipated every drama production and when Raymos and Anaya would visit, she would have them tell her just a little more about the upcoming play.  In Raymos, Carol’s qualities shine bright with his intrinsic love of learning and improving along with his giving, accepting heart.  Anaya, a kind, creative, and artistic soul just like her Grandma, often accompanied weekend trips to Hobby Lobby or Michaels to get just one more needed item for Grandma so she could create her next work of art. So much laughter took place down those aisles as April watched two artists scheme and dream together.

According to Carol, her children are her greatest achievements and her grandchildren are her legacy. In them, we see what Carol hoped for most - a group of young people eager to make the world a better, brighter place.

Services for Carol will be held on Monday, June 19th at the First Baptist Church in Dove Creek, CO at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to ROCK’s Art Program at P.O. Box 364, Dove Creek, CO 81324.