Carlita Conley Zummo was born August 28, 1926 in Lola, Kansas. At six weeks of age, her parents, Mildred and Earl Conley, a teacher and a pharmacist, moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico. They lived there a few years before moving to Albuquerque where she lived all except for five years when she and her family lived in Tucumcary.

While in school in Albuquerque, Carlita was May Queen, Secretary/Treasurer of her Senior class at Albuquerque High School and a member of the National Honor Society. Since her Mother graduated from a women’s college, Cottey College, in Nevada, Missouri, Carlita wanted to go to one, too. She went to Colorado Women’s College in Denver and graduated from there. Her senior year, she was chosen Beauty Queen and President of her Senior class and was active in many organizations on campus. Carlita was a Home Economics major with a minor in Spanish.

During her senior year, a college friend insisted she go to Fitzsimmons Hospital to try to cheer up some World War II Veterans who returned to theUnited States in very poor health. She meta good-looking, bedridden soldier who had just returned after three and a half years as a prisoner of the Japanese in Java and Burma. One of the jobs they did was to build the Burma Railroad. They barely survived the years in the jungle. This soldier was Vincent “Zip” Zummo of Port Arthur, Texas. Carlita and Zip married in Albuquerque in 1947 and after a honeymoon in Chihuahua, Mexico, they began their life together in Port Arthur, Texas. Zip was a Life Insurance Underwriter with Great Southern Life Insurance and was a Million Dollar Producer every year. They raised two fine children, Guy Howard and Candice, who both graduated from Lamar University. Guy worked at the Port Arthur Town Club for seven years before he went to work at Texaco. He worked there for fourteen years until his death in 1989. Candice was a teacher in the Nederland School District where she taught for thirty-eight years. She had a twenty-five year perfect attendance record at Central Middle School and received countless awards there culminating with the prestigious Reaud Award for Excellence in Education. Candice took eighth graders to Washington D.C. for twenty eight years to visit our country’s capital.

Carlita was always very involved in community activities. She was President of Thomas Jefferson PTA for two years and received a Life Membership for her service. She was a JayCee ette and a member of North Port Arthur Lioness club. During that time, she won the Mrs. America contest. Carlita was on the Samaritan Counseling Board, The Port Arthur Historical Society Board, past President and Charter member of the Hibiscus Club, past Board member of Texas Artists Museum, on the Board of Knife and Fork, the Community Concert Board and captain of a membership drive team, Patron member of Port Arthur Little Theater, Lamar Cardinal Club, Krewe of Aurora, President for two years of Chapter CP of PEO, and member of Chevron Chemical Community Advisory Panel. Carlita volunteered every Thursday at the gift shop at the Museum of the Gulf Coast for eighteen years. She was a Life Member of the American Ex-Prisoner of War Association, a member of Colorado Women’s College Alumni, a Life Member of Albuquerque High School Alumni, a member of Port Arthur Public School Foundation Board, and a Deacon, Elder and Circle Chair of the Presbyterian Church where she was a member since 1947. Later in life, she was a member of Providence Church as well as the Moderator of the Ladies of Providence Church.

Carlita was a Board member of Everlasting Changes, a member of the Gala committee for Lamar- Port Arthur, a member of the Audubon Society, the Pompano Friday night Dinner Club, a member of the Port Arthur Commodores, the Port Arthur Chamber of Commerce, and the Lost Battalion Association. Carlita also was a Life Member of the Lamar State College Alumni and Friends, a supporter of Colorado Women’s College Scholarship Funds, a member of Quota International of Southeast Texas and started the Guy Howard Zummo Scholarship Fund when her son died. Finally, Carlita was honored by the Southeast Texas Art Council as Volunteer of the Year 2016.

Memorials can be made to the “Guy Howard Zummo Scholarship Fund” at Providence Church, P.O.Box 1626, Nederland, Texas 77627

Carlita’s funeral service will be held at Providence Church, 5315 North Twin City Highway, Nederland on Saturday, May 5th at 2:00 p.m.