Carmen Ann Kaminski

Carmen Ann Gocke Kaminski, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, passed away January 20, 2019 after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.
Carmen was born April 15, 1948, to Darrell and Beulah (Bredehoft) Gocke in York, Nebraska. She attended Granger High School and the University of Utah, graduating with a degree in Fashion Merchandising.

She married Frank Kaminski on September 9, 1972. Their 46-year marriage was a match of true partners; they raised two children together and created a beautiful home in West Jordan.

Carmen worked in retail for many years, first as a fashion buyer for the Broadway department stores and then in various training and support roles at ZCMI and Dillards. Changing careers, she found a home for her organizational and management skills at Westminster College, where she was the office manager at the Gore School of Business for 13 years.

Carmen retired in 2015, which allowed her to spend more time in her favorite place on earth: her garden. She also used her retirement to volunteer and study horticulture at Red Butte Gardens.

Carmen was a born teacher and leader. She was Sunday School superintendent at Christ Lutheran Church in Murray, Utah for many years. She volunteered at her children’s schools, creating special programs and teaching classes. She was a 4H leader, passing on her love of sewing and cooking. She took her role as eldest sibling very seriously, organizing Gocke family events. And she was a devoted wife and mother, helping her husband and children pursue their creative passions.

She is survived by her husband Frank; her son Alan (Altair) and grandson Skyler; her daughter Karen (Matt); her father Darrell of York, Nebraska; brother Raymond of Waco, Nebraska; brother James (Kathy) of Ankeny, Iowa; sister Joann (Clark) of Urbandale, Iowa; and brother David of Loveland, Colorado. She was preceded in death by her mother Beulah and infant brother Ronald.

A celebration of Carmen’s life will be on Tuesday, January 29, 2019 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Starks Funeral Parlor, 3651 South 900 East, Salt Lake City. Guests are encouraged to use the complimentary valet parking on the north side of the building. A graveside service will be on January 30, 2019 at noon at the West Jordan City Cemetery, 7800 South 1300 West.

Carmen loved flowers; the family welcomes arrangements sent to Starks, or friends may plant something in her memory in their own gardens.