Carol Jensen

Carol Louise Norton and her twin sister Patricia Ann Norton were born in Seattle on

September 25, 1939 to George and Kathryn Norton. Carol attended Catholic schools and spent a great deal of memorable time with her grandmother and great grandmother. She loved growing up as a twin.

When Carol was a teenager the family moved to Van Nuys, California, where she continued to attend Catholic schools. In 1957 she graduated from Alemany High School, a new school where she was the first student body president and the first valedictorian in school history. Carol was a high achiever at all stages of her life.

During the 1957-58 academic year she attended Seattle University where she was chosen as a varsity cheerleader. In 1958 she transferred to Mt. St. Mary's College in Los Angeles and entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. She was a member of that community until 1973.

In 1972 she enrolled in the graduate program in English at Indiana University. There she met her husband, Richard (Dick) Jensen. She completed an M.A. in English and then was admitted to the M.A. program in Religious Studies. She was hired as a teaching assistant and taught a course in which students received credit in English Composition and Religious Studies.

After completing her degrees she started a successful career as a college faculty member and administrator at various colleges in Albuquerque (1976-1992) and UNLV in Las Vegas, Nevada (1992-2004). She was demanding yet much loved and admired as a teacher. She also published several chapters in books and articles in professional journals.

After they retired in 2004 she and Dick returned to Albuquerque. She discovered Centering Prayer, a program she deeply loved and practiced. She and Dick also traveled extensively. Carol loved cruises and annual trips to Hawaii, a place she particularly enjoyed throughout her life. Their trips ended when she was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in 2019.

In Albuquerque she was an active member of the Aquinas Newman Center and St. Therese Catholic Church. At the Newman Center she organized a very successful women's spirituality group that had both Catholic and Protestant members. At St. Therese she served as a Greeter at Mass. She enjoyed that role very much.

Carol loved to dance, ride horses, and dreamed of being a competitive ice skater. She was unable to take lessons in dance and ice skating but she loved to dance her entire life. She was a beautiful dancer.

She is survived by her husband, her sister, Patricia Suraco (Sonny), her daughter Mary Kay Holmes (Brian), and her granddaughters, Hazel Holmes and Sadie Holmes. The family would like to thank the staffs at Mayberry Senior Care and Morning Star of Albuquerque for their superb care during her fight with Alzheimer's.

A funeral mass with be celebrated at St. Therese Catholic Church at 3424 4th Street, NW on Thursday, January 30 at 10:00 am.

In lieu of flowers please send contributions to the New Mexico Alzheimer's Association or the New Mexico Roadrunner Food Bank.