Carolyn Ann Willingham

August 18, 1952 – July 3, 2025

Carolyn Ann Willingham passed away peacefully at home in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, on July 3, 2025, at the age of 72.

Born in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, to Cecil and Maggie Ashford, Carolyn grew up in Kiefer, Oklahoma, and graduated from Kiefer High School in 1970. She was a fiercely loving mother and nana whose greatest passion was her family. Carolyn encouraged her children and grandchildren to live life to the fullest and loved them without condition. She filled the home with laughter and playful banter, always responding with her signature sass and humor. Being “Nana” was one of her life’s greatest joys and her favorite accomplishment.

When life presented challenges, Carolyn always stepped up with unwavering determination to ensure her family’s stability. Through intelligence, grit, and relentless work ethic, she rose to become a senior buyer in the aerospace industry. She could do anything she set her mind to. Fiercely competitive and naturally sharp, she approached every challenge with confidence and resolve.

More than anything, Carolyn cherished being a mom. She raised her children with fierce love and high expectations. Carolyn believed in raising strong, independent thinkers who could stand on their own and question the world around them. Her support was unwavering, her guidance steady, and her love was the kind that stayed with you for life. She had a wit and laughter that made every situation fuller, and she gave the kind of hugs that made everything better. Carolyn was the foundation her family could always rely on.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, James Willingham; her grandson, Kelven Schiele; and her brother, Robert Ashford.

She is survived by her children: Deanne and her husband, Marcus Flores; Drew Willingham and his wife, Callie; and Alicia and her husband, Jon Schiele.

She is also survived by her grandchildren: Blaine Schiele, Cayden Willingham, Jackson Willingham, and Sutton Willingham; her step-grandchildren: Jayson Schiele and Jessica Lucero; and her step-great-grandchildren: Lyla Lucero, Hailey Lucero, and Levi Lucero.

Additionally, she is survived by her siblings: Sanda McCormick, Jan Kizer, and Kenneth Ashford.

A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, July 13, 2025, from 12 to 4 pm at The Willingham Family Home in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. Friends and family are invited to gather, share stories, and honor the remarkable woman who built a legacy of love.

“The legacy we leave is the love we shared and the family we built.”

Arrangements are in the care of Green Hill Funeral Home.

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