Carolyn Wilcox

Carolyn Hills Wilcox, age 80, of Little Rock, passed away on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 2024. 

She was born May 15, 1944, in Indianapolis, Indiana to Fielding and Allene Hills. 

She was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Mary Jane “Janie” Marsh; brother, Thomas E. Hills, Sr.; brother-in-law, Thomas “Tommy” Marsh; and nephew Thomas E. Hills, Jr.

Carolyn is survived by two sons, Lawren Wilcox (Ellen), Brent Wilcox (Joy); sister, JoAnn Houge; sister-in-law, Joan Hills; grandchildren, Mallory, Chase, Brandon, and Katie Wilcox who lovingly knew her as “Grammy”; nieces and nephews, Sharon Rzasa, Mike Houge, Denise Folmar, Tanya Marsh, Tracy Garrison, Jennifer Marsh, Thomas Allen Marsh; and a host of many extended family and friends. 

She moved to Central Florida in 1956 from Atco, NJ and graduated from Melbourne High School in 1962. From there Carolyn, Bob (father of her children), and their two sons moved to Huntsville, AL for a brief period and then eventually to Little Rock, AR where she lived for the remainder of her life.

As a mom Carolyn devoted much of her time carting her two sons to all their sporting events and was their biggest fan. She also enjoyed the annual snow skiing trips and the many trips back to Melbourne to visit her parents, sisters and their families, not to mention getting in some beach time. 

Carolyn had various places of employment including NASA, the Corps of Engineers, and the Junior League of Little Rock. In the late eighties she made the decision to go back to school and in 1993 she graduated from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She was inducted into Sigma Theta Tau and Alpha Epsilon, both honor societies for nursing students. She worked as a nurse at UAMS, primarily in the cancer unit, from 1993 until she retired in 2000. 

After retirement she remained active with local clubs such as the Sierra Club and loved spending time hiking and camping in the outdoors. She also cultivated a love for plants and caring for them gave her great enjoyment. In the latter stages of life, she lived in the Rivercliff Apartments in Little Rock. There she loved walking the beautiful grounds and playing card and board games with close friends. 

The family will receive friends Friday, December 20, 2024, from 3:00 PM – 5:00 PM at Smith Little Rock Funeral Home, 8801 Knoedl Ct, Little Rock, Arkansas 72205.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donating to the Arkansas Chapter of the Sierra Club (https://www.sierraclub.org/arkansas/donate) or a charity of your choice.