Carolynn Burrup

Written by Suzy Toronto

Our Carrie was the most "crazy brave and wicked strong" woman I have ever known. She was fearless, boundless, passionate and limitless in every way.

With that thought in mind, I'd like to share with you the life sketch of Carolynn Toronto Burrup.

When Carolynn was born on October 22, 1969, in Salt Lake City, she was the first-born child of Allen and Jane Toronto. Their precious, blonde-haired baby with incredibly big blue eyes captured their hearts right from the start. She was everything they ever hoped their daughter would be. Their sweet little girl, so tiny and petite, grew and matured through each stage of life with a temperament that would prove to be gentle, kind and loving. Everyone who would come to know her would forever consider her the most non-judgmental, forgiving and compassionate person they had ever known. Her love of music was simply an extension of her angelic qualities and persona.

As soft and demure as Carolynn appeared on the outside, those closest to her always knew it was all smoke and mirrors. For underneath her slight and delicate exterior was a hurricane swirling in a teacup.

Her gutsy, fearless attitude was evident from an early age. She was always the first to jump off the cliffs at Lake Powell or take swan dives off the top of the house boat. When everyone woke up at sunrise to waterski the chilly, glassy waters at our home on Hayden Lake, Carolynn never hesitated to be the first one to slide into the water. Personifying the family motto of "Cold and pain don't matter, as long as you're having fun," she'd slip on "The Woodie," her favorite waterski, and ride back and forth, getting more air with each jump across the wake. I can still hear her shouting "Woohoo!" over the roar of the outboard motor. Her silhouette was perfectly exquisite as she skied with the sunrise behind her. It was pure beauty to watch.

It was equally fun to watch her snow ski as she'd cut and carve out the mountain at Park City. I can still remember the first time I skied with her. At the bottom of the hill she asked me if I wanted to ski down a black diamond run, covered in moguls. I reluctantly agreed and waited at the top of the hill a couple of chairs on the lift ahead of her. As I was looking down regretting my choice, and just as I'd landed on a good excuse to chicken out, I saw this itty-bitty wisp of a girl fly past me in a poof of powder, once again hollering "Woohoo!" It was Carolynn. And she was in perfect form as she danced through the snow-covered bumps.

Whether she was jumping out of airplanes, parasailing high over Mexico, hiking and rappelling though the narrows in Zion National Park, skiing at sunrise in icy waters or flying down a snowy mountain slope, her passion and zest for life had no boundaries... and she really was absolutely fearless.

Her love for music was also evident from an early age. Nurtured by her mother, Carolynn was especially passionate about the piano. She never had to be reminded that it was time to practice. She was our built-in alarm clock, for every morning she'd be up at 6 a.m, sitting at her mother's cherished grand piano. Carolynn's little fingers would fly over the keys as she banged out the scales. She'd effortlessly float into Chopin's "Fantasy Impromptu" while her little brother, Chase, laid on the floor under the piano... his favorite place to be whenever she was playing. Her music was nothing short of magnificent. It was no surprise to anyone when she won the coveted Sterling Scholar Award in Music which came with a full-ride scholarship to BYU.

For Carolynn, her musical performances were a shot of euphoria. Never afraid to walk out on the stage, whether she was singing with the Mormon Youth Choir as a young woman or with her beloved friends from "We Also Sing" or with the girls she loved so much in the Vivace Choir at Herriman High School, she was in her element. Whether her fingers were playing the organ at church or the grand piano in the tabernacle on Temple Square, her passion for music was one of the great loves of her life.

However, with that full-ride scholarship in one hand and two semesters at BYU under her belt, Carolynn announced to our family that although music would always be her passion, it was not what she wanted to do as a career. Boldly proclaiming that she was the architect of her destiny, she told us that not only was she going to be a nurse, but she was going to join the military and serve her country doing it. There was no talking her out of it. She'd made up her mind. Six months later Carolynn graduated from her training as Honor Grad... the equivalent of valedictorian with her platoon's highest scores in marksmanship. A couple of years later in Officer Training School she again graduated number one in her class. She finished her service to our country as a captain in the USAF Reserves.

Sandwiched in between her military service, Carolynn served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to the Philippines, Davao City Mission. She put her nursing skills to use at a local health clinic there as well as proselyting. She later served at a Vietnamese refugee camp where the locals were mesmerized by her fair, pink complexion. Not being able to pronounce her last name, Toronto, they nicknamed her the Vietnamese word for "Rosebud," because her coloring reminded them of a soft pink rose.

After her mission, she found her real passion... that which would trump her love of music and all her zany adventures. She found the love of her life. His name was Trent. I can still remember when she brought him home for the first time to meet the family. I didn't have to ask if she was going to marry him. I could see it in her eyes. He was the one she wanted to join for the rest of eternity. She had decided. In hindsight, I don't know if Trent had decided to marry her or not but that was irrelevant. Carolynn had made up her mind. A few months later they were married in the Bountiful Temple.

The past 25 years have blessed them with three amazing children. Ashley Jane, who just returned from the Russia Moscow Mission. Jenna Rae, who will be graduating from high school this spring. And 13-year-old Tyler Jay, who, like his two sisters, shares his mother's passion for music. For Carolynn, motherhood was not a spectator sport. She was "all in." She was devoted to her children and cherished her role in their lives.

From all that I've told you, I'm sure you're thinking Carolynn was blessed with a charmed life. And if life really is what we make it, then yes, she did create a wonderful, charmed life for herself. But there is another story I haven't yet told.

When she was 13, her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer... the same genetic mutation that would eventually claim her life. Even though Carolynn was barely a teen, she stepped into the role of helping her father, mother and siblings to an extent that many adults would find overwhelming. She never complained about the added workload she took on. Instead she compassionately asked for more. After her mother passed away, and midway through her senior year of high school, Carolynn's true colors continued to shine. She announced to her father that she was going to forgo college and stay home to help him raise her three siblings. The offer broke his heart. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary, but the fact that she made it and had every intention of fulfilling it is a testament to and foreshadowing of the woman she would become.

Carolynn lived her life exactly the way she wanted. She lived her life by design and not by default. Not once did she let cancer define who she was. She was a daughter of God, and a disciple of Christ, who faithfully multiplied all of her God-given talents. She was a loving wife and passionate partner and devoted mother. She was a caring daughter and sister, a compassionate and empathic healer, and a fierce and loyal warrior.

With wings of courage and strength unsurpassed, she really was the most crazy brave and wicked strong woman I have ever known.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, January 25 at 11:00 a.m. at the Herriman Pioneer Stake Center, 12682 S. Starlite Hill Lane (6125 West), with viewings Friday, January 24 from 6-8 p.m. and Saturday, January 25 from 9:30-10:45 a.m., all at the church. Interment, Larkin Sunset Gardens.

Donations to The Carolynn Burrup Memorial Fund (Account No. 756565994) can be made through Deseret First Credit Union at any of their branches and should be made payable to Trent Burrup or Necia Burrup.  Donations can also be made at any of the following Credit Unions:  Mountain America CU, Golden West CU, Cyprus CU, Granite CU, Heritage West CU, Jordan CU, Members First CU, Secured Services CU, Utah First CU, Utah Power CU, or Weber State CU.  Also, with the account number, funds can be transferred from one financial institution to another.