Carolyn Lois Hailey Boles
Carolyn Lois Hailey Boles passed away on Tuesday, May 14, 2024, in Burlington, Vermont, at the age of 84. She was preceded in death by her husband of 57 years, Donald Ray Boles. She leaves behind her daughter Larea Arnett and husband Eric Arnett, her son Christopher Dixson-Boles and wife Jade Dixson- Boles, grandchildren Abby Dixson-Boles and Asher Dixson-Boles, and many other relatives and friends.
Carolyn Boles was born in Boyce, Texas on June 28, 1939, to Ethel (Brintle) and J. C. Hailey, and was the youngest of four children. Her early years were spent on a farm where her father was a sharecropper. Carolyn met Don in Bardwell and they were married in Garrett, Texas on May 30, 1958. They moved to Andrews in 1966 and to Midland in 1977.
Carolyn was very creative and was talented in many areas. She could sew anything, crochet, and make doll furniture from cardboard boxes and spools. She learned to play piano as a child by practicing on a cardboard box where she had drawn the keys until her parents saved up for a used piano when in her teens, and in later years she could play most music by sight. She could type more than 100 words per minute. She was the valedictorian of her high school class and was athletic - when she was younger she could walk across a room on her hands. She loved hiking, gardening, the outdoors, and especially aspen trees.
At an early job she worked for a safety director for Columbia Gulf and was featured in billboard ads in Houston and even a TV commercial. The majority of her career was spent as office manager for a medical clinic. When she and Don moved to Midland, the doctor she worked for told her he’d buy her a new car if she would continue to commute and work for him. She later managed the Texas JRAC office in Midland which was a nonprofit administering funds to coordinate and improve emergency care at hospitals across Texas.
Carolyn was mostly known for her welcoming hospitality and kindness to others. Carolyn was a lifelong member of the Church of Christ and her faith was practiced throughout her life. Don’s students were always made to feel at home, and the saying was that you couldn’t be in their house for more than about a minute without Carolyn putting a glass of Coca Cola in your hand. A few students and even more relatives lived with Don and Carolyn during periods of need and she made them feel at home and loved. She kept extra Christmas gifts for unexpected visitors and always had an over the top collection of Halloween treats and toys for the children from church, many of whom came back years later with their own children for trick or treat. When her congregation needed a program to visit the elderly members who were homebound or in nursing care, she made a plan and started visiting with the help of one of her friends. She also was active in the Family Promise program. Carolyn believed in service to others. At almost 70 years old, on a visit to her son she insisted on helping stack firewood. Near the end of her life, when she was very ill, her greatest frustration was not being able to do more to help others. She did not like being waited on and wanted to contribute by doing household chores.
Funeral services will be held at the Downtown Church of Christ in Midland, TX, on Saturday, June 1, at 3 pm. The burial will follow at Andrews County West Cemetery at 5 pm. Visitation will be held Friday, May 31, from 5:00pm-8:00pm at McNett Funeral Home. Arrangements are under the personal care of Mc-Nett Funeral Home.
