Obituary of Carolynn Eleanor Hiatt
Carolynn Eleanor Hiatt, 85, of Apple Valley, Minnesota, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by her family on Thursday, February 11, 2021.
Carolynn was born on May 12, 1935, to Elsie Bradley and Lawrence Crawford Ford in Media, Pennsylvania. Carolynn graduated high school from Westtown School on June 10, 1953. She began a career in nursing after graduating from the Pennsylvania Hospital School of Nursing in 1956. Carolynn served honorably in the United States Air Force as a Registered Flight Nurse and later served as the Supervisor of Minor Surgery at Shands Teaching Hospital at the University of Florida from 1967-1976.
Carolynn’s parents were great believers in education and instilled in her a passion for learning. Over the course of her lifetime, she avidly pursued her education, culminating in two master’s degrees: an MSN in 1981 from the University of Minnesota and an MBA in 1982 from the College of St. Thomas. Carolynn had an entrepreneurial spirit and advocated for women in business. She began a technology consulting firm, and later co-owned the business with her husband. Carolynn was active in the Minnesota Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners, serving on the Board of Directors from 1984 to 1985.
Carolynn loved being a Mom/Grandma/Nana and was a caregiver at heart. She enjoyed music, reading, gardening, and traveling to visit her many friends and family. She loved to visit her grandchildren and spend time with her friends.
Carolynn is predeceased by her husband, Clifford Frederick Hiatt, Sr. (2009), and survived by her sister, Nancy Ford; her four children, Clifford Frederick Hiatt, Jr., (Jean) Deborah Lynn Beck, David Leland Hiatt (Sonia), and Daniel Steven Hiatt (Tracey); and her six grandchildren, Daniel Clifford Hiatt, Meredith Anne Hiatt, Nicholas Robert Beck, Meghan Lauren Beck, Garrett Benjamin Hiatt, and Ross Alexander Hiatt.
The family extends their sincere thanks and gratitude to her caregivers and Park Nicollet Methodist Hospice. A private family gathering will be held on Monday, February 15.
A formal interment beside her loving husband, Fred, at the Fort Snelling National Cemetery with military honors is scheduled in late Spring.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer’s Association Tributes
