As a gifted and talented singer, Georgene Marie Carlini delighted North Platte residents for decades with her beautiful angelic soprano voice, often singing together with her one true love, Ulysses A. Carlini, Sr.

At age 92, on Monday morning Jan 21, 2019 at Great Plains Health with family by her side, Georgene left this world to sing with a new heavenly choir and join her beloved Ulysses and their beautiful, sweet daughter Mary.

As great as her love of music was, Georgene’s greatest love and joy was her faith and family – Ulysses, their 8 children, their 18 grandchildren and their 9 great grandchildren.

“She loved each and everyone of us kids,” said her oldest son Greg Carlini. “She always told us how proud she was of us all, as well as how much she loved her precious little grandkids and her sweet great grand babies.”

“Before she passed she told us how grateful she was to have lived a long, good life, and to be blessed with such a big, beautiful family,” said her daughter Theresa Carson.

Georgene was born on Feb 22, 1926 in Aurora, Ill., to John and Theresa (Kames ) Heitkotter. Since she was born on George Washington’s birthdate, her family named her Georgene.

She received her undergraduate degree from DePaul University in Chicago. And while working on her master’s degree at DePaul, she met and fell in love with Ulysses, who had the opportunity to tutor her. Together they performed professionally in Chicago and throughout the Midwest in the late 1940s. The two were married on Feb. 18, 1950 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Aurora, Ill. and lived in Chicago, while Ulysses earned his masters from Northwestern University and worked in radio before becoming a pioneer in television.

The Carlini family moved to North Platte more than fifty years ago in 1968 for Ulysses’ job to manage KNOP-TV. Besides being the busy mother of eight, Georgene was also KNOP-TV’s Community Affairs Director and on the station’s Board of Directors from the 1960s to 1990s. She was even known to pitch in when they needed someone to operate a studio camera during a newscast or two.

At one time or another, all the Carlini kids worked there until Gray Communications bought KNOP-TV and KHAS-TV four years ago. Ulysses “Uly” Carlini,Jr. is GM and Vice President at a Gray Communications TV station in Panama City Beach, Florida, where they successfully weathered the deadly Hurricane Michael last year.

Besides her work at the TV station, Georgene shared her musical talents with North Platte’s Monday Musicale, the Heartland Singers, the community Handbell Choir, St Patrick’s and Holy Spirit Catholic Churches, and as Past President of The North Platte Community Concert Association.

She and Ulysses passed along their musical talents to their children including Judy Ahmadian, who sang professionally with a national theater touring group and their son John Carlini also plays piano professionally in Lincoln and Omaha, and teaches music as well. Georgene also taught private piano lessons for a long time in North Platte to dozens of students throughout the years including her two granddaughters Sonya Cloud and Christina Carlini Souter. Her great granddaughter, Cambria Carson, uses Georgene’s old violin to play at her elementary school concerts in Colorado and another great granddaughter Kyla Cloud sings at her elementary school concerts in Texas. Georgene loved to travel to visit with her kids and grandkids around the country. Georgene was also a founding member of the Holy Spirit Catholic Church and was active for years as the organist. She was also an organist at St. Benedict’s in Evansville, Indiana, and at St Patrick’s Church in North Platte. She and Ulysses also sang with the Kentucky Quartet in Evansville, Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky.

They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary with their family and good friends in North Platte in 2010. Three years later in Dec. 2013 at North Platte’s Fox Theater in honor of Georgene and Ulysses, their family held a special reception and screening of an original documentary short, “Everything is Wonderful,” which was filmed by their grandson, Joe Carlini.

Georgene was always a huge supporter of St. Patrick Catholic Schools, where her kids and grandkids attended including her granddaughter, Teya Carlini, who currently goes there. Throughout her fifty years in North Platte, you would often find Georgene at local sports, musicals and other events cheering on her kids and grandkids.

Her survivors include her children: Theresa (Chris) Carson, of Greenbrook, New Jersey, Greg (Jodi Ritacca) Carlini, of Woodbury, Minn.,Judy (Saeed) Ahmadian, of Houston, Texas, John (Shari Schwartz) Carlini, of Lincoln, Claudia Carlini, of Lebanon, Kansas, Ulysses (Diane) Carlini Jr., of Panama City Beach, Florida, and Lewys (Holly) Carlini, of North Platte; as well as her grandchildren: Christian (Monique) Carson, of Lakewood, Colorado, Kathleen (Joe) Njau, of Manville, New Jersey, Christina Carlini (Tyler) Souter, of White Bear Lake, MN, Joe Carlini, of Los Angeles, Sonya (Mario) Cloud, of Corpus Christi, Texas, Frankie Higgins, of Kenesaw, Nebraska, Nikita (Wes)White of North Platte, Josh (Laura) Schultheiss, of Austin, Texas, Georgene “Georgie” Sommer, of Lebanon, Kansas, Ulysses “Adam” Carlini III, of Panama City Beach, Florida, Angelica (Jake) Morrow, of Grand Island, Alexandra “Allie”Carlini, of Lincoln, Gabriella “Gabbie” Carlini, of Panama City Beach, Florida, Giavanna “Gigi” Carlini, of Panama City Beach, Florida, Dane (Randi) Carlini, of Omaha., Brianna Carlini, of Austin, Texas, Zandra Carlini, of Grand Island, and Teya Carlini, of North Platte; nine great-grandchildren, Cambria Carson, Natalya Carson, Nya Njau, Eva Njau, Kyla Cloud, Aiden Souter, Amira Souter, Claire Carlini and Chloe Carlini and numerous other family members and many friends.

Georgene was preceded in death by her husband Ulysses, who passed at age 89 four years ago on Aug, 24, 2014; their daughter Mary Higgins, who passed at age 62 last June 2018; her sister Kathryn “Kay” Kempiners, who passed last June 2018 at age 103; and their daughter-in-law Verna (Kellum) Carlini (age 35) and their granddaughter Sitarah Carlini, who both passed on Oct 10, 1998.

Christian Wake Services for Georgene will be held at 7:00 pm Thursday, Jan. 24, 2019 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 10:30 am Friday, Jan. 25, 2019 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church with the Reverend Josh Brown as celebrant. Burial will follow at Fort McPherson National Cemetery near Maxwell.

Visitation will be 9:00 am- 4:00 pm Thursday at Adams & Swanson Funeral Home which is in charge of arrangements.

Memorials can be sent to Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 2801 W E St, North Platte, NE 69101 or St. Patrick Catholic Schools, 302 S Sycamore St, North Platte, NE 69101