Carolyn Joy (Potter) Pitts

Published 3:08 pm Monday, June 9, 2025

Carolyn Joy (Potter) Pitts
May 15, 1935 – May 24, 2025

 Carolyn Joy (Potter) Pitts, 90, of Wilsonville, Oregon passed away May 24, 2025, at the High Lakes Care Home in Sisters, Oregon. 

  Carolyn was born May 15, 1935, in Portland Oregon, the daughter of Laura Beebe and Howard Potter. She had two older brothers, Robert and Harold, and a younger brother Kenny. She was raised in Portland and moved to Oregon City as a teen when her parents purchased 40 acres of property which became Three Mile Farm on Southend Road.

  Carolyn attended Oregon City High School, graduating in 1952. She married Willis Pitts in 1953, moving to Wilsonville four years later. Together they raised three children, Jim, Jeff, and Laura, spending nearly 57 years together. They moved from Wilsonville to Aurora in 1978 living on the Willamette River and later moving to Denbrook Equestrian Center where they ran their stable enterprise for 20 years. After Willie’s death, Carolyn moved to Springridge Retirement Living at Charbonneau for 13 years.

  Carolyn loved music. She was an outstanding musician, and the violin was her instrument of choice since childhood. She enjoyed attending concerts, symphonies, and musicals throughout her life. She worked as the Music Secretary at West Linn High School for 17 years, retiring in 1995.  Carolyn especially loved Rockaway Beach, spending many vacations on the coast at her family cabin with her children, grandchildren, and the “Golden Girls”, her lifelong girlfriends. Carolyn was very sociable and made friends wherever she went. She traveled extensively with her gal pals, enjoying many good times and leaving behind hundreds of photos of her adventures.

  Carolyn will be laid to rest at the Willamette National Cemetery alongside Willis in a private interment.  She is survived by her two sons; two daughters-in-law; six grandchildren; four great- grandchildren; and a large extended family of nieces and nephews.  A Celebration of Life will be held June 22, 2025 at 11:00 AM in Wilsonville at McMenamins Old Church–30340 SW Boones Ferry RD, Wilsonville, OR 97070.

  Memorial donation information may be found at: autumnfunerals.com on Carolyn’s page.