Kathleen Carpenter's Obituary
Kathleen McCarthy Carpenter, 87, of St. Louis, Missouri, died Sunday, May 29, 2016, at Fair Haven Christian Home, Decatur, Illinois.
Kathleen was born May 14, 1929, in Chicago, Illinois, the first of five children born to Fred and Marie Whitman McCarthy.
She spent her childhood and early teenage years in Pana, Illinois, where she attended Sacred Heart School for eight years and Pana High School for two years. After her family moved to Decatur, she attended Decatur High School. In 1953, she graduated with honors from Millikin University, where she was president of Alpha Chi Omega sorority.
In 1955, Kathleen moved to St. Louis. For over 25 years, she was employed as a flight attendant for Ozark Airlines, later TWA. She was married in Venice, Italy, to Colonel George D. Carpenter, a US Army Air Force veteran who flew more than 100 missions in a B-25 during World War II.
Surviving are her brother Thomas F. McCarthy of Decatur; sisters Patricia Berndt of Decatur and Eileen Hawker of Kankakee; sister-in-law Marsha McCarthy of Decatur; nine nieces and nephews; nine great-nieces and nephews; step-sons Tim, Joe and Scott Carpenter; and special friends Marilyn DeGraff, Jo Ann Leu and Phyllis Seevers.
Preceding her in death were her husband; brothers-in-law Alan Berndt and George Hawker; brother Gerald McCarthy and his two grandchildren.
Burial will be 2:15pm Monday, June 6, 2016, at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, St. Louis, Missouri.
The family of Kathleen Carpenter is being served by Moran & Goebel Funeral Home, 2801 N. Monroe Street, Decatur, IL. Send condolences and share memories with the family at www.moranandgoebel.com.
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