ALTA JEAN McCORMICK
25 September 1930 - 16 August 2017

Alta Jean McCormick, of Carrollton, joined her parents in Heaven on Wednesday, August 16, 2017, after a brief illness. She was the beloved daughter of the late Jewel Gertrude Jennings McCormick and LeRoy Dudley McCormick. She was predeceased by her sister, Betty Jane McCormick Penfield, brother-in-law, Henry Smythe Penfield and her still-born baby sister, Pearl. Jean was born in Hebron, Texas, on September 25, 1930. She lived most of her life in her beautiful home and neighborhood in Carrollton, enjoying and tending her mother’s colorful irises every year. As a child, she was very close to her grandmother, Nancy Jane McCormick, who told her many stories of growing up in the latter 1800’s; in fact, the local newspaper, the Carrollton Leader*, interviewed Jean over the years for her historical perspective of her community’s changes from a sleepy rural suburban neighborhood to a booming area.

As a young woman, Jean enjoyed teaching her young nieces Monopoly® and fun card games, and was always eager to share paper dolls, jigsaw puzzles and other game challenges. She was very devoted to her church as well as to the local Lion’s Club, the latter of which held a special standing in her father’s eyes. She felt it was important to continue his wishes to support the community in that way.

Throughout her life, Jean has thoroughly enjoyed a circle of wonderful, helpful friends and neighbors who will certainly miss her. She was a regular sight, walking her little dog every day, enjoying the peace and calmness of her neighborly community. In her later years, she enjoyed putting pen to paper, writing short stories with her own special soap operatic flair. Her five nieces also enjoyed lengthy written correspondences as well as visits with their aunt. Jean would often call any particular niece to warn them of weather alerts and to wish them safety along the way.

Jean has been a quiet presence in the lives of friends and family for many years and this is the kind of relationship that will deeply affect her loved ones when they realize there will be no more letters, no more calls, no more visits -- yet calming, knowing that she is in a better place now.

Survivors: Jean is survived by: her five loving nieces and their families Susan Carol Penfield, MD and husband Leslie Cortes, MD, Nancy Jane Penfield Brenner and husband Merrill Brenner, Rebecca Sarah Penfield Olsen and husband Dana Olsen, Ellen Mae Penfield Kelsey and husband Rick Kelsey, and Emily Joyce Penfield; Jean’s grandnephews and their wives Nicolas Penfield-Cortes and Lydia Zumack, Kevin Olsen and Chrystal Olsen, and Kyle Olsen and Thu Olsen, and Jean’s great grandniece Claire Olsen and great grandnephew Logan Olsen. Jean will also be greatly missed by her faithful little companion, Chichi Chihuahua, who has shown great talent as a potential future therapy puppy.

Services: Visitation with friends and family is on Saturday, August 26, 2017, 11am-1pm, at RHOTON FUNERAL HOME, 1511 South Interstate 35E, Carrollton, TX 75006 (972-242-5261).

The funeral service will be held on Wednesday, September 6, 2017, 10am, at RHOTON FUNERAL HOME, 1511 South Interstate 35E, Carrollton, TX 75006, followed by the grave site service at Furneaux Cemetery, 3650 Cemetery Hill Road, Carrollton, TX 75007. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to Operation Kindness (www.operationkindness.org) or First Baptist Church of Carrollton.