Obituary of Carol H. Winter

Carol H. Winter, age 87 of Iowa City died Thursday, November 2, 2023, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Memorial services will be held at 11am Friday, November 10, 2023, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, where there will be a time of visitation one hour prior to the services and during a reception to follow at the funeral home.   In lieu of flowers, memorial donations could be made in her memory to any of the following the Bur Oak Land Trust, International Crane Foundation, Iowa City Public Library, All Saints Church of Indianola, or a charity of your choice.  To share a condolence with her family please visit Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service website @ www.gayandciha.com.

Carol Hopper Morford was born March 11, 1936, to Dorothy Louise Clark and Courtney William Morford in Ames, Iowa.   She graduated from Central High School in Sioux City, Iowa.  She earned a Bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University, after which she taught high school in Webster City and West Branch, Iowa.  After moving to Iowa City, she earned a Master’s degree in Library Science from the University of Iowa. She held positions as a medical librarian at Mercy Hospital and at the Hardin Library for Health Sciences at the University of Iowa.

She was a member of Trinity Episcopal Church and New Song Episcopal Church.   She served on the boards of the Iowa City Public Library, the Episcopal Chaplaincy, and the Iowa City Kickers Soccer Club where she was also an assistant coach.  She was recently on the Ridge Residence Council at Legacy.  She served as a chaplain for the Diocese of Iowa at University Hospitals and was a volunteer for Hospice.

Carol’s parents were both talented musicians and her mother, Dorothy was accepted at Juilliard School as an organist. Carol continued their tradition and was an accomplished pianist and organist. She studied organ music at the University of Iowa music school under Gerhard Krapf.   She was devoted to conservation and donated funds to Bur Oak Land Trust, Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, and the International Crane Foundation. 

Carol enjoyed travel and visited the Grand Canyon and California with her son Tony.  She visited the Black Hills and Wind Cave with her son Aaron. Carol and her daughter Kirsten travelled to Utah, New Mexico, and many Iowa destinations to visit local, State and National Parks.   Carol and Kirsten went to Nebraska to see the gathering of Sandhill Cranes at the Platte River and travelled to Mt. Ayr in southern Iowa to see the Greater Prairie Chickens dancing at Kellerton Grassland. Carol was an enthusiastic birder, and Carol and Kirsten spent many hours working on the 2nd Iowa Breeding Bird Atlas project, collecting data throughout the state.

Poetry was a passion for Carol and she wrote and read poetry with local poets for more than 30 years.  Her poetry was published in several journals including Avocet. Two of her favorite poets were Mary Oliver and Billy Collins.

For the last few years Carol lived at the Legacy apartments, where she enjoyed making many new friends and the excellent and cordial support provided by the ambassadors, drivers, and the dining room, housekeeping, and maintenance staff. 

Carol’s family includes her two sons, Anthony and Aaron (Heather); her daughter Kirsten (Charlie); and her three half-sisters.  She was preceded in death by her parents, step-father, two step-brothers and former husband, Richard Winter.