Obituary of Verna May (Guliford) Carter

We are sad to announce the passing of Verna Mae (Guliford) Carter on January 22nd in her home at 214 Continental Street, Santa Cruz, CA, with her daughter by her side. She was 78 years old. Verna Mae was born in San Rafael, California to Frank and Dela Guliford. She attended Holy Cross School from elementary through high school and attended Cabrillo College where she studied computer science as well as art. She worked for the Santa Cruz Police Department, was a Phone Operator for Pacific Bell in Santa Cruz, as well as an In-Home Care Provider. She was married and had her daughter, Rhonda Starleen Carter, on May 20th, 1970. Verna was a lifelong student of the Arts, mastering many forms of art such as pottery, ceramics, weaving, knitting, painting, drawing, and many more. Her passion for art led her to be a member of the Women’s Artist Caucus at Cabrillo College. She felt so strongly that she sacrificed her time to tutor and mentor students as well as women. For the entirety of her life, she continued to pursue the mastery of all forms of art with fervent devotion. Verna Mae’s talent was unrivaled, creating many works of art including a widely sought-after afghan, custom ceramic pieces, and highly detailed doll clothing for her daughter and niece. Verna May was an avid reader, regularly maxing out the 100 book limit from her local library and amassing a vast collection of books sourced from many places such as garage sales and Elder Day in her later years. Verna May is survived by her daughter Rhonda Starleen Carter, her grandsons, Kelizha Anthony Lutz Carter and Landon Pointer-Goodpaster, her brother Norman Alvin Guliford aka I Crow X, as well as nephews and nieces Brian Travis Davidson, Paige Ann Rivera, Iasha Rose Day, and Khalib Jamal-Isalim Day. She was preceded in death by both her parents, Franklin William Guliford Sr. and Dela Mae Guliford, as well as her brothers, Franklin William Guliford Jr. and Xavier Anthony Guliford. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, February 1, from 3:30-5:30, and will include food and beverages at London Nelson Community Center, Room 5, 301 Center St, Santa Cruz.