Carolyn DeJong was born on June 1, 1945, in Richland, Washington, to William and Katharine “Kitty” Roe.

During the final two years of her life, Carolyn faced the challenges of both breast cancer and stomach cancer. Throughout those difficult days, she found comfort in the care and devotion of her family and husband, Lamont DeJong, whose unconditional love was a blessing and a constant source of strength throughout her journey.

In addition to Lamont, Carolyn is survived by her three siblings, Bill Roe (Bonnie, deceased), Kathie Truax (John), and Christine Perko (Larry); her children, Michael “Mick” Hokanson (Emily and AJ), Johanna DeJong (Josh Roper, Soraya & Rustyn Yazdanpour), Hettie Wright (Emmie and Ethan), and Christopher DeJong; her goddaughters, Stacy Marinello, Lila Avila, and Brooke Roe; numerous nieces and nephews; and the special angels in her life, Colleen, Lisa, Donna, Connie, Diane, Cindy, Val, Carole, and Linda.

Carolyn graduated from Columbia High School in Richland in 1963. After attending college for a few years, she married Dick Hokanson, and in 1968 graduated from Eastern Washington University with a degree in Education. Their son, Mick, was born in 1971. Sadly, Dick suffered a life-threatening injury soon afterward and later passed away.

While teaching third grade in Kennewick, Carolyn ran into her old classmate Lamont at a friend’s dinner party. Carolyn and Lamont had been in the same kindergarten class and later graduated from high school together, so their shared history made reconnecting remarkably easy.

In 1976, Carolyn and Lamont married, and his daughters, Johanna and Hettie, quickly bonded with Mick, and the family grew even closer when Christopher was born in 1978.

Carolyn and Lamont shared a deep love of American history and enjoyed taking the children on numerous “American Odyssey” road trips. These experiences fostered a lifelong love of learning, and all four children went on to graduate from college, with several pursuing careers in education.

As the children grew older and moved away from Oregon, the DeJong condo in Bend became a special place where the family could reconnect, make memories, laugh together, and simply enjoy being together.

Carolyn taught fourth grade in Gresham, Oregon, for 24 years. She was much more than a teacher who taught lessons from a textbook. She enriched her students’ lives through experiences, encouragement, and genuine care and was awarded the Crystal Apple in recognition of being an outstanding educational professional. When she retired at age 62, she was showered with praise and affection from principals, fellow teachers, secretaries, and, most importantly, her students and former students—a testament to the lasting impact she had on so many young lives.

Upon retirement, Carolyn and Lamont happily returned home to Richland, where Carolyn became an enthusiastic cheerleader for any event that involved someone she loved. If a family member was participating, Carolyn wanted to be there, cheering them on. She was always in the stands, in the audience, or on the sidelines—proudly supporting the people she loved.

Carolyn was a woman of strong faith and embraced leadership and mentoring roles within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, both in Gresham and Richland. She especially enjoyed her involvement with Young Women’s camping trips and the lively friendships she shared with her Bunko Squad.

Carolyn loved to travel and visited the Netherlands, Mexico, Canada, Roatán/Honduras, Greece, and France. She also enjoyed cruising the major rivers of Europe. But her first love, ever since she was a 19-year-old girl, was Hawaii. She returned almost every year, and her perpetual tan became one of her trademarks.

Carolyn lived a life filled with family, friendship, learning, faith, adventure, and love. She had a remarkable gift for making people feel cared for, welcomed, and included. She showed up for the people she loved, celebrated their accomplishments, shared in their adventures, and made countless memories along the way. The many lives she touched will carry her memory forward.

In lieu of flowers, please spread joy in Carolyn’s memory. Donate to your local school or library, plant a tree, befriend someone who is lonely, or just share a little grace and kindness. We may not all be able to make large donations but be we can all make small gestures with big hearts. Aloha and mahalo, Carolyn, for a life so beautifully lived and so deeply loved.