Florence – Carrie Joy Spurrell Williams was born Jan. 29, 1956 to Lt Col William Alfred Spurrell and Mary Elizabeth (Painter) Spurrell, the second fraternal twin and the youngest of five children. Carrie had a colorful and well traveled childhood, living in Libya, Washington, Texas, and Saskatchewan, and visiting Missoula, Montana in the summers.
The love story of Carrie’s life began in LaMarque, Texas, where she worked as a teacher’s aide and attended community college. That’s where she met Michael, who was taking night classes as a student engineer at NASA’s Johnson Space Center. At 19 years, they both knew within a week that they would marry, and did so six months later. For the next 51 years, they celebrated Feb 17th as their own Valentine’s Day because that was the date they met in 1975.
Before having her own children, Carrie worked with special needs children as a teacher’s aide and volunteered with the Red Cross at a hospital. The skills she learned and practiced proved to be essential when her firstborn child, Priscilla, was severely mentally and physically disabled. Seventeen months later, Benjamin was born, and seven years after that, the family welcomed Virginia. Motherhood did little to slow Carrie down, as she worked hard to improve the quality of education and life for all of her children. She also remained heavily involved in the activities of Air Force Officers’ Wives’ Club during Michael’s career, including editing and publishing a monthly magazine and professionally compiling, designing, and publishing a cookbook as a fundraiser.
Carrie had a wonderful singing voice, touring Canada with her Western Christian College Choir, joining Michael’s mother singing with Sweet Adelines in Sacramento and later joining Michael in the Safe Harbor Singers gospel group. With Safe Harbor Singers, Carrie sang on two of their albums and performed in several Central Texas venues.
Toward the end of Michael’s Air Force career, Carrie completed her teaching certification with a 3.94 GPA. She taught sixth and seventh grade mathematics and talented and gifted students for several years. She was named in the Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, nominated by a student who credited her with their academic success. She also developed curriculum for the talented and gifted program for her school district, taught continuing education at statewide teacher conferences, and was nominated as Texas Talented and Gifted Teacher of the Year.
After leaving the teaching profession, Carrie worked for the University of Texas, retiring as the Tuition Billing Supervisor. Carrie didn’t slow down in retirement, serving with Michael as the Florence, Montana community Red Cross Blood Program Leaders and as treasurer of the Western Montana Military Officers Association (WMMOA), and learning to spin fiber, weave, quilt, and improve on her sewing skills until her illness.
Carrie and Michael celebrated their 50th anniversary on a long planned cruise in Alaska’s Inside Passage. She was diagnosed with cancer only six weeks after they returned.
Carrie always tried to find and share humor and was known for the occasional prank. For example, the first time that Michael came over to her house, she introduced her 1 year old niece as her own, to see how he would react. But what she was especially known for was her warmth, generosity and attention to detail in personal relationships. The wants and needs of family were never an afterthought – always automatic priorities.
She is survived by her husband Michael of Florence, MT, children Priscilla of Austin, TX, Benjamin of Florence, MT, and Virginia (Gin) Williams of Seattle, WA, twin brother Mark Spurrell of Wheelersburg, OH, Daughter in Law Tiffany, and grandchildren Asher and Cora Williams of Florence, MT.
Predeceased by father William Spurrell, mother Mary Spurrell, sister Mary Ann Boote, brother Bill Spurrell, brother Steve Spurrell, mother-in-law Jacque Doyle, and father-in-law Jack Williams.
Burial and a short service will be at the Western Montana State Veterans Cemetery in Missoula, MT at noon on Tuesday, May 5, 2026. In lieu of flowers, and to honor of Carrie’s generous spirit, we request donations to Partners in Home Care, Lifeflight Network, or the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network.
“The light has gone out of my life.”
Lori DeAnda says
She was a remarkable woman. It was a sad day when you all pulled out of Albuquerque for the last time. You forgot to mention her cooking. I still regularly use many of her recipes. And her homemade egg not was epic! I will miss her but I am so grateful for having known her and called her my friend.