Carol Jensen

Obituary

Carol Boyea Jensen was born in Santa Cruz, California. From the age of 10, she was raised by her paternal grandmother, an Italian immigrant, whose strength, resilience and values left a lasting imprint on her
life.
Carol’s lifelong love of literature began early:
“I have loved books since reading
The Wizard of Oz, and I have never
lost my love for that book. My mother
sent me a copy when I was seven, promising that books can be your
best friend. When I turned twelve, I was allowed to travel by tram to the
San Francisco Main Library near the Civic Centre and the Opera House.
It was there, in a special room where books could not be borrowed,
that I discovered Shakespeare. I think that was the beginning of my
love of real literature.”

Carol attended Notre Dame Grammar
School in San Francisco and later to Notre Dame High School,
graduating in 1959. She was awarded
membership in the California Scholarship Federation. She went on to the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts. In 1963, she graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Diploma of Teaching Education.
In May 1964, Carol married Robert Fortune Hill. Together they
welcomed two children: Michael (born December 1964) and
Catherine (born September 1968).
Reflecting on that time, Carol once wrote:
“I remember Neil Armstrong’s landing on the moon. However, it is
even more memorable because seven-month-old Catherine almost
took her first step at the very same moment. She fell down just as he
stepped onto the surface of the moon. My grandmother had said I
would never live to see the day a human being landed on the moon.
On that day, she was 73, and I called her to tell her that not only had
I lived to see it, but so had she. Later, I realised that my
grandmother—born in 1896 in Santa Cruz and educated by horse
and cart—had lived to see the world progress to the moon. It has
also made me realise that I have lived from books and libraries to
computers and Google. That is a lot of change in a lifetime.”

In October 1976, Carol married Australian Ronald Jensen and
welcomed Emma, in May 1980. Carol and Ron’s marriage endured until Ron’s sudden death in 2006.

The early 21st century brought new joy as Carol became a grandmother.
She was a devoted and much-loved Nanna to Leigh, Declan, Aidan, Jake,
Merrick, Asher, and Eligh—and will be fondly remembered for never
failing to correct their grammar and for sneaky McDonald’s visits.