Carolyn Danielson Holtman passed away on March 18, 2024, at the age of 74, from complications related to liver disease.
Carolyn was born on January 16, 1950, in Kansas City, Kansas to Henry Danielson and Mary Alice Sherley. Her childhood was filled with music and dance. She played both piano and clarinet. Carolyn graduated from Washington High School in 1968 with plans to pursue a music education degree. She attended Kansas State Teachers College in Emporia, where she was a member of the Sigma Kappa Sorority and the Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity. It was there that she met Stephen Holtman. They were married in 1970 and moved to Bloomington, Illinois when Steve began working for State Farm. Carolyn continued her bachelor studies at Illinois State University. In 1973, after the birth of their daughter, Jennifer Elizabeth, Steve accepted a job with Hallmark, and Carolyn and Steve moved back to the Kansas City area. Two years later, Daniel Stephen was born. While the children were younger, Carolyn devoted a great deal of her time to her volunteer work with the Junior Women’s Symphony Alliance, where she served as Designer’s Showhouse Chairman in 1983 and President in 1984. This work evolved into a full-time newly created position as the Auxiliary Coordinator with the Kansas City Philharmonic/Symphony, one which she held for many years.
After leaving the Kansas City Symphony, Carolyn became the manager of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City, taking the orchestra to the World’s Fair in Spain on its first international tour in 1991.
After leaving the Youth Symphony, Carolyn accepted a job with Truman Medical Center, which radically changed the trajectory of the remainder of her career. After a few years as an administrator in the Radiology Department, she transferred to Orthopedic Surgery where she served as Residency Coordinator for over twenty years. Over her tenure, she oversaw the education of over a hundred future orthopedic surgeons who she guided through the residency program. Carolyn was a member of the Association of Residency Coordinators of Orthopedic Surgery where she was one the first certified residency coordinators in the country.
Music continued to be an important part of Carolyn’s life. She played for nearly thirty years in the handbell ensemble at Village Presbyterian Church and was an active member of the Kansas City Alumnae Chapter of SAI, receiving many honors for her contributions.
Her family was the most important thing to her, and she was always happiest when her house was full of family members, especially during the holidays. She enjoyed being Grammy to her six grandchildren and GAC to her three grandnieces and nephews. She was very proud of the accomplishments of her grandchildren and attended as many of their events as she could. She loved to travel. For over twenty years she spent nearly every weekend at their condo at the Lake of the Ozarks, which was her happy place.
Carolyn was preceded in death by parents Henry and Mary Alice Danielson and brother Larry Danielson. She is survived by her husband of nearly 54 years, Stephen Holtman, her sister-in-law Pam Holtman, and her children, Jennifer Hull (Bradley) and Daniel Holtman (Jaime). She also leaves behind grandchildren Brady and Katie Hull, and Kathryn, Anna, Noelle and JC Holtman, as well as beloved nieces and nephews and their children, in addition to her canine caretaker, Snickerdoodle.
The family would like to thank KU Med Center for their amazing care.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Music Department at Village Presbyterian Church or may be sent to the KC Music Foundation to provide Sigma Alpha Iota music scholarships.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, April 4th at 10:00 am in the sanctuary at Village Presbyterian Church on Mission. The service may be viewed online at https://www.villagepres.org/online.html.