Carolyn O'Connor Obituary

My Dear Cousin, you are never forgotten! After all these 15 years gone by, I still think of you almost weekly. I really could use you company right now... I miss our almost daily conversations. I so miss you!! I still love you dearly.

My Loving Cousin, How I miss you this day. It has been 11 years since you left. Not a year or month goes by do I not think of you. My heart has never healed. I miss you so terribly. I will never forget you and never a loss for Love for you. You are so truly missed.

My Dear Cousin, Today would be your birthday. My pain is so great this day. I would call you without hesitation every year. I would tease you as for a short time our age would be the same and once again I would remind you that you will always be older.
I miss our conversations. Rest assured, you will never be forgotten. My vacations now remain alone and no longer as exciting without you. I miss you cousin. Terribly.

My dear Cousin,

Another Christmas Eve has past and I miss our thoughtful conversations. So much was shared this night. We would remember all the things we did the past year, vacations we shared, reminisce our childhood and all the good things we did. Never in all our years did we not repeat these things and laugh at ourselves for the foolishness we displayed. I so very much miss these conversations. Merry Christmas Carolyn. I will always love,remember and cherish our times together. I miss you terribly!



Mark

My dearest cousin, it has been over a year and still I hear your voice. My heart aches for your conversation, your phone rings no more. Alas, the many months have not given way to my grief. I still shed a tear often because I must. I have no control over my pain and so it continues. My grief cannot be tamed. I miss you sorely!!



Daniel Sykes

I miss Carolyn so very much! We were on the phone at least twice a week. I feel that having had lunch and a fun visit with her the day before she died was truly a gift received!



We met when I was 12 and she 13. We helped each other get through our childhoods. I know that without Carolyn, and our other pal Susan, I'd have been lost!



Last weekend I helped Mike, Larry and Richard clean out Carolyn's apartment. What a goofy packrat she was! I found letters upon letters she saved from me and Sue. I also found the scarf Carolyn knitted when we were kids. It was long and brightly multi-colored. I recall she wore that scarf during many a Chicago winter! I took that scraf home with me and will now wear it for many a winter as well. Carolyn I will always be your "Mandy" and your friend!!! Love ya!!!

To my dear sister, my traveling buddy, Carolyn. Though the years seemed to draw us farther away from each other, and our common interest of sight-seeing, I will truly miss you. Some of my best vacations were spent with you, in various cities, celebrating your birthday. How I wish now that I had devoted more time to touring the country with you. Now it is too late, but I will never forget.

Your traveling buddy,

Larry

From all the staff in the NICU at Lutheran General Hospital, Carolyn will be missed. She was always so kind and loving to our babies. Thank you Carolyn for that :) Our thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.

Tribute by Toni Bussey - from the Sykes clan



Tribute Text:



Dear Carolyn,

I never met you but I know that I am the poorer for it. We had plans to meet and vacation together along with your loving cousin, Mark Sykes. Mark is my cousin also, as his father and my mother are sister and brother. Unfortunately, I grew up in Florida and then moved to Georgia, so I never got to establish a close relationship with my Sykes cousins. Unknown to me, I have lived two hours away from Shelby and Marlene for 27 years, which is ironic and also quite sad.



I did try to contact my Uncle Richard and Aunt Louella in late 2002, only to find out that my dear Aunt Louella had passed away. Time is such a thief! However, there was a reason that God had me contact the household, and that was to re-establish communication with my cousin Mark. He sent me several family pictures over the Internet, and some of those pictures included Carolyn.



As a result of each of us desiring to meet the other, we (Mark, Carolyn and I) had plans to vacation together. I was so looking forward to meeting Carolyn, as she sounded exactly like someone I would pick to be my best friend. I had no doubt that we three, and

Carolyn and I especially, would be perfectly at ease and enjoy the adventure and each other's company.



I know my Lord has a special purpose for all of us who know Him. I know that I was spared from death for His purpose, and when I have finished my work here on earth, I, too will be with Him and Carolyn and all our loved ones who have believed in Jesus and trusted Him as their Lord and Savior, who have gone before us.



Carolyn, I love you and will see you in Heaven and we will have all

eternity to be friends!



Toni

To Carolyn's family,

From the nurses on 2 West at Lutheran General Hospital, we wish to express our sadness at hearing of Carolyn's death. We work with infants, children and adolescents here and were always glad to see her in the mornings, knowing we had an experienced and sensitive co- worker. She had a quick smile and would take the time to reassure her patients. She will be missed.

I'd been good friends with Carolyn for 35 years. I'll always remember her spirit, wit and humor. We had many adventures and good times. I'll miss her dearly and will cherish the years of memories and friendship.

My loving Carolyn, my best friend and confidant, to a kindred spirit was our early childhood. Though our lives were separated by many miles, nothing could break the bond we acquired over our short lived years. Never was there a time we didn’t share our deepest secrets, our fears and joys, our happiest and dimmest moments and remain closer than a brother or sister could ever be. Our bond was marveled by our brothers, our parents and my Grandmother (Dell), your Aunt, our cousins and my Uncles. I will never be able to fill the void my now hollowed heart holds for you.



We spent many a vacation together, always finding a new friend. When we met after so long a time apart, we never felt awkward or foolish. We immediately became one with each other, as if to show only one spirit. How foolish we may have looked to others that we behave like children in our grown years. We cared not our behavior and let ourselves be free. Just giddiness and laughs was our time spent. We wrote so many letters to each other, many that I have saved, so many phone calls to each other that I’m amazed our parents never went broke. I will never be able to replace or renew my loss. My grief is so great.



To my Aunt Grace, my cousins Larry, Mike & Joan, Richard, Michelle, Christina and little Richard, I have spent many hours praying for you. I know your pain all too well. I miss all of you and pray your lives will be restored and renewed. Know that my heart goes out to each of you. I know we will see Carolyn again and I hope to see you in the near future.



Please read John 3:16, as Carolyn was very aware. Just remember that if you accept Christ into your heart, ask Christ that your sins be forgiven and ask Him to be your Personal Savior, you will have ever lasting life.



I love you guys! I will now close this with only an entry Carolyn would understand.



Love,

Mark



Ps. Tradition!