Kirkman, Carolyn Joan

Carolyn Joan Kirkman, 35, beloved daughter of Joan Kjaer and David Kirkman of Iowa City, passed away in her home after a long and hard-fought battle with cancer on Monday, June 27, 2011, surrounded by family and loved ones.

Carolyn grew up in Iowa City and attended Iowa City schools, graduating from City High in 1994. She received her B.A. in English at the University of Iowa; lived and worked in Edinburgh, Scotland; and returned to Iowa City, where she worked for many years at the University of Iowa Community Credit Union. Most recently, she was a counselor at Waypoint in Cedar Rapids, providing caring services for women, children and families under stress.

Carolyn was a passionate and compassionate woman who loved life and made the most of it. She loved her family, books, travel, music, movies, politics, fairness, crossword puzzles, science fiction, baseball, shopping, design and her favorite Italian coffee. Carolyn, our beautiful, golden girl has made the heavens richer by her presence.

Carolyn's family includes her father, David; mother, Joan and partner Jay Semel; her brother, Greg Kirkman, his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Gwendolyn; grandmothers, Ruth Kjaer and Elizabeth Mansfield (Jim); aunts, Jacqueline, Diane (Ron) and Kathryn Kjaer, Sara and Laura Kirkman, Susan Aschenbrenner (Jon) and Marcia Larson (Dan); cousins, Erik, Quinn, Malory, Katy, Kristin, Erich and Jay; and Semel family members, Diana, Sophie, Bennett, David, Ame, Isaiah and Charlie.

She was preceded in death by her grandfathers Theodore, Kjaer and David J. Kirkman.

Memorial services will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, July 1, at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City, with the Rev. Karl Divine-Koch officiating. Visitation will be from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made in Carolyn's memory to the Holden Cancer Center c/o University of Iowa Foundation.

Online condolences may be sent for her family through the web at