Dr. ECarolyn Brown Tucker

Obituary for Dr. ECarolyn Brown Tucker
My precious mother transitioned to Heaven on Monday, September 1, 2025, in Gallatin, TN. As her first-born daughter and being true to her form, I can’t follow the normal protocols for an obituary, she would have insisted that I follow my heart.After a valiant fight with intestinal ischemia, and overcoming the anguish of losing everything in the fire last year that took the home we built in 1978, she took her last breath in my arms as I sang hymns to her, surrounded by my children, Brookolyn and Blake, my husband who was mom’s daily dance partner, Kyle, and Daddy, her loving and devoted husband of 55 years as of Friday, the 6th. September will now be an even more notable month as I chose to get married on her anniversary, September 6, to honor her.I am so thankful to Jesus to have had the opportunity to serve her 24/7 for the past 4 years to share so many beautiful moments, some hard, some inspirational, but all were some of the most cherished moments of my life.I loved her deeply and desperately and my heart breaks to write of her passing. But she would want her last love letter to be written to YOU, her friends, colleagues, and her students. You were her reason for living and fighting - to be an inspiration for those who felt unloved and unseen. She wanted most in the world for you to know your value and the gold she saw within you.Over the years, I read to her your Facebook posts, messages, pictures, and texts. I wish I could have captured the joy and peace it would bring to her as I conveyed your sentiments and memories. She wanted nothing more than to know she made a difference in your lives.So, I want to personally and publicly thank all of you, who were her community over the years for loving my momma. My heart will forever be endeared to you.As she journeyed through her very accomplished life, starting with being a sissy and strong advocate to Judy, mom’s sister with disabilities, she taught and modelled for me to be a life long champion of others. Through the eyes of Mom, I was impressed from birth not to see disability but to appreciate the value and special gifts, as we are ALL God’s children and worthy of love and CELEBRATION.Mom served the church as a librarian, Sunday School teacher, Sunday School director, youth pastor, choir director, women’s ministries, and probably more than I can recall. Some of my favorite memories were singing with her at revivals, county fairs, weddings, etc., while wearing matching, homemade dresses. She even led my own husband to the Lord. Her spiritual legacy is eternal.She was more than a teacher. Her passion was to imprint on young minds (or even older ones)a LOVE for learning as well as to learn to love and value the beautiful gifts and humanity budding within. She was the ultimate idealist, and wanted only the BEST for students and she was chosen by state leaders to change the curriculum for Kentucky through KERA, impressed with the dedication to not “teach to a test” nor for just those students who “test well” but to encourage teachers to discover the learning style for all students and empower students for lifelong learning. Whether through teaching pre-school, grade school, college, gifted and talented, speech, drama, special ed, home-bound, and even BATON, serving as principal or serving on the school board, she was a fighter to the very end to be a voice and an advocate for everyone who counted on her. Her life long love of learning compelled her to acquire her doctorate in Educational Leadership and being a KY Colonel exemplified even further her dedication.Her books reflect this advocacy theme. She is a published author, from a book of poetry, to children’s books, to writing a novel dealing with childhood trauma. Many people have written to let us know that Mom’s book has given them the courage to speak up and to step into their own voice. One of the things Mom and I were working on together was a “sequel” of sorts. A book to embrace learning to heal from the subsequent battles of depression, PTSD, and Borderline Personality Disorder that can come as a result of complex trauma and how to heal as a family. My prayer is that I can still find the words to work on what was “ours” together. In some ways, she is my other half. I am the feeler and she is the writer. May what she wanted to convey be captured in a way that she would have wanted….in time.Mom was a very talented artist. She could paint and draw, and illustrated all of her books.As an artist and performer, she created dramas and church cantatas as well as the Nutcracker for Dixon Elementary. Oh, how she loved to work with her actors and dancers to create moving productions. She was also in advocacy movies and short films, to bring awareness to overcoming mental health issues and abuse.So many of you have joined her in these endeavors. Always know that she carried each one of you with her until the very end. Thank you for being a part of her making a mark on this world for the GOOD and making the world a better place.And to her late-in-life, bestie, Kyle, my dear husband who has walked with me in this beautiful and heartbreaking journey. Thank you for dancing with her every day, dreaming with her, creating with her, inspiring her to keep believing in LIVING when her body didn’t want to do what it used to. I love you for it and so did she.To Blake and Brookolyn, you have been such a rock for me and a support to me to help see me through. Your presence in Mom’s life these past, “hardest” years brought her so much comfort,peace, and even hope. I love you.Allen, thank you for coming to the hospital and then back to the house after she passed. Your presence brought warmth and strength.And Daddy, you were there for her through it all. Without you, she wouldn’t have accomplished all of the things she was able to. You drove her to appointments, comforted her, encouraged her, steadied her, held her when fear and doubt were beating at her door. You were truly the wind beneath her wings. I love you dearly. And Mom does, too. You always said that God sent you to her to protect her and love her. And you have done just that.Dr. ECarolyn Brown Tucker is survived by her devoted husband, Larry Allen Tucker, her sister Judith Joanne Brown and “her person,” (caretaker) Beth, daughter, Tarrolyn (Tari) Austana Tucker-Newton, son-in-love, John “Kyle” Newton, daughter, Tami Allen Tucker Simpson,son-in-law, Jason Simpson, her grandchildren Blake Austin Newton whom she called“Champion,” Brookolyn Alexis Newton whom she called “Angel,” Allen Quinn Clark, whom she called “Hero,” Colby Tyler Clark whom she called “Sunshine,” Jeremiah David Simpson whom she called “Joy,” and Nathan Xander Simpson whom she called “Fearless.”Memorial Services are delayed (hopefully to the weekend of Sept 19th) due to Larry's back fracture and spinal fusion on the 12th to allow him to make the trip to Webster County. Details forth-coming. Thank you so much for your patience and outpouring of love.Mom’s Author Bio And Her Career Accomplishments:Dr. Tucker held degrees in political science, geography, English, and secondary education from Murray State University. Earning a PhD in Educational Leadership from University of Louisville,she specialized in research in the area of Southern Rural Culture and its role in the dark subjects of child abuse, incest, and misogyny. She was a veteran of the classroom and has served over 25years as a teacher in the Rural South. Dr. Tucker has also served as an interim principal, and asan academic, speech, and drama coach. She is a past president of Kentucky Council of Teachers of English-Language Arts, a KERA Fellow, a Kentucky Distinguished Educator, and a member of National Council of Teachers of English Standards committee.Her writing has been published in English Journal, encounter, Uncovering Curriculum, local newspapers, literary publications, and educational journals. She was a passionate advocate of free public education as a prerequisite for a democratic society and has represented her region of Kentucky on the State Board of Education.In her spare time, she served as a volunteer for Hospice, Webster County Homemakers, and4-H; and as a member of the Webster County Retired Teachers Association, Webster County Genealogical and Historical Society, the Society for Scientific Study of Religion, and the Rural Education Association. Online condolences can be made at www.townsendfuneralhomeinc.com