Carolyn Larnetta (Berry) Tipler

Carolyn is the eldest of three children, born in Chicago, Illinois July 26, 1953 to the union of Curtis Henry and Mary A. Berry. Carolyn was baptized at Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago, Illinois under the leadership of Reverend James Bass.  Carolyn attended K-12 Chicago Public Schools and afterwards Lindblom High School and for college, Carolyn attended Jackson State University. 

While in Chicago, Illinois, Carolyn met Kenneth Tipler in the summer of 1968, but it was not until 1974 when Carolyn was working at Illinois Bell that they married and relocated to Boston, Massachusetts where Kenny finished his enlistment in the U.S. Coast Guard.  After Kenneth’s enlistment ended in 1974, they moved to Seattle, Washington in 1975.

Between 1975 and 2024, Carolyn served as Administrative Assistant for Boeing Airlines (5 years), King County Council (14 years), and Seatac City Council (3 years).  After Seatac she went to Delta Airlines where she worked for 15 years as a ticket agent and then went on to become an Administrative Assistant for the Seattle Public School System.  While at Seattle Public School System, Carolyn was involved in many roles in the day-to-day operations of various schools within in the system. During the summers, she had the responsibility of working with others to prepare for the upcoming school years.  Carolyn held this position until February 2024 when for health reasons she could no longer work.

Carolyn was devoted to her family.  She was a loving wife who unconditionally supported her husband and loved her family throughout their 50-year marriage.  On April 29, 1977, she gave birth to Kendrick Lamarr Tipler and on March18, 1980 gave birth to Wayne Edward Tipler, II. She was a loving mother who was their greatest champion and could be found at all of their games, school events and often hosted the neighborhood kids at the house with basketball games and other sport activities.  All of them came to know and love Carolyn and referred to her as their Mom or second Mom and she referred to them as her ‘SonShines.’

Carolyn was an avid bowler, karaoke singer, bid-whist player and often hosted after game parties at her house.  A house that was always filled with food, laughter, fun, and good times. 

Carolyn was a devout Christian and was an active member of Damascus International Fellowship Baptist Church.  She worked as a part-time assistant to Reverend Dr. James Broughton, III and was instrumental in setting up his office when he first arrived in Seattle in the early 2000’s.

In 2018, Carolyn was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer and was informed that her illness had a life expectancy of 3 years.  She was a true soldier and bravely fought this cancer for 6 years.  Battling through numerous surgeries and procedures, Carolyn persevered until the cancer’s recurrence in early 2024 when Carolyn’s battle with cancer ended on May 27, 2024, at 6:15 pm.  She was surrounded by her husband, sons, mother, sister, niece and cousin who loved her without reservation and who she loved without restraint. 

She fought a good fight and praise be to God that her suffering is now over.

She leaves behind to cherish her memories two sons (Wayne and Kendrick), 7 grandchildren (three grandsons Taylor, Elijah and Ken Lee), four granddaughters (Zoey, Maliyah, Alexis and Haven), and two great granddaughters (Abriella and Solanna) and one great grandson (Easton).  She also leaves a loving Mother (Mary A. Braddy-Berry), two sisters (Phyllis Berry and Cheryl Scaife), and daughter-niece (Renanda Hoffman) along with over 50 cousins, nieces and nephews mainly from Illinois, Ohio, Mississippi, Georgia and California along with in-laws (Marsha Elaine Tipler, Dorothy Tipler, Gwendolyn Tipler-Scott, Christopher Boose, Paulette Britt, Cassandra Berry and Michael Tipler).  And she is preceded in death by her father Curtis Henry Berry, one grandson Jaylin and her dear cousin-brother Howard (Hal) Hines, Jr. and a host of others that were dear to her heart.

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