Carolyn Kay Kirn

Birth: June 16, 1939 | Died: September 21, 2021

Carolyn Kirn, 82, of Anaheim passed away September 21, 2021. Visitation will be held from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM, October 4, 2021 with a rosary starting at 5:30 PM, at Hilgenfeld Mortuary in Anaheim. Funeral mass will be held 10:00 AM, October 5, 2021 at St Anthony Claret Church in Anaheim with interment to follow at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Orange.

Carolyn was predeceased by her husband , Dale Kirn, and brother Tom Zeleny. She is survived by her sister, Rosemary Rundell and by her children, Joseph (Nancy) Kirn, Mary (James) Beckman, Kathy Carter, Teresa (Tom) Shadle, Sandra Kirn; 9 grandchildren, and 10 great- grandchildren. Memorials may be made to the Susan G. Komen Foundation or the St. Vincent De Paul Society.

Carolyn was well known for her years of being an elementary school teacher in Anaheim, California.

In 1939, Carolyn was born in Seward, Nebraska to Louis and Helen Zeleny. After several years of living in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Carolyn gained a brother, Tom and a sister, Rosie. In 1953, Carolyn’s family moved to Omaha, Nebraska. While there, she graduated from Mercy High School in 1957. Carolyn’s family moved to Salina, Kansas where she attended Marymount College and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Education in 1960. She furthered her education and received her Masters Degree in Education from National University in 1998.

Carolyn married Dale Kirn in 1961 and moved to Hiawatha, Kansas, where she started teaching. After the birth of their first child, Mary Kay, they moved to Southern California in 1962 where Carolyn’s children, Kathryn Ann, Joseph Dale, Teresa Marie, and Sandra Jean were born.

Carolyn taught at St. Anthony Claret from 1964-1969 and at Adelaide Price Elementary School from 1969 to 2001, when she retired. Carolyn enjoyed playing Bingo, trips to the beach, traveling, and visiting with family. Carolyn was married 50 years to her husband, Dale, who passed away in 2012.