Carol Brooks Bodwell, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and tireless community servant, passed away on December 5th, 2025, at the age of 80. 

Born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Carol was the daughter of Thomas and Edna Brooks. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University, where she studied elementary education and met her husband, Donald (Buck) Bodwell, over a game of bridge. 

Carol taught elementary school for five years while Buck served as an Army officer and later attended Graduate School. The couple eventually settled in Texas, raising their family in Plano and from 1980 in Princeton.

Carol devoted her life to her family and service. She founded the Community Food Pantry of McKinney in 1981 and served as its unpaid director, overseeing 100 volunteers, until 2023. She was deeply involved in education, teaching GED courses and serving on the Princeton ISD School Board for more than 30 years. She was most proud of her dedication to the idea of “always doing what’s best for the children” as well as championing the creation of the district’s Career and Technologies Education center.  In 1996, Carol earned a Certified Personal Trainer certification through the Cooper Institute in Dallas, then taught aerobics and stretching classes in Princeton and at the YMCA in McKinney.  She taught Sunday School to pre-teens at Holy Nativity Episcopal Church in Plano and Children’s Chapel preschoolers at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in McKinney, saying she wanted to give parents a chance to attend church without distraction.

Carol loved playing cards with family and friends. Her favorite quote was Winston Churchill’s: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” 

She is survived by her husband, Donald Bodwell; her sons Jim (Stacey), Stephen (Amy), and John (Kasie); and her grandchildren Lee, Jack, Ellie, Max, and Brody Bodwell. She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Edna Brooks. 

A memorial service will be held at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church – McKinney on February 13, 2026, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Community Food Pantry of McKinney.