Former Student Loses Life While Stationed in Iraq
Diana Petras
Issue date: 3/16/07 Section: Obituaries
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Carla Jane Stewart, a GCC dance department alumna and an Army Reserve member, was a beloved 5-foot tall woman who died on Jan. 28 when her convoy vehicle overturned in Tallil, Iraq.
Even at the age of 37, she reached her goal of wanting to serve in the military in 2004. Her mother, Emmy Aprahamian, said that Stewart was determined to enlist in the military. She was even going to join with a friend when she was 17 years old, but both of them got cold feet.
"I told her that she might end up in Iraq," Aprahamian said. "But she [Carla] said, 'I have to do it. If I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.' " So Stewart finally joined the military when she was 34 because the cutoff to join the military is 35.
"She really loved the military and she always wanted to be a soldier because she loved this country so much," said close friend Robin Ward. "A lot of people don't know that about her because when she was here, she was a dancer and that's that people thought of her as."
Before the military, Stewart was a graduate of Glendale's Hoover High School and attended Glendale College. She was known as a dancer and Patt Paczynski, a dancer/choreographer at the dance department, said that Carla was always up for the new dance. "She was great, funny, cheerful and easy to work with," she said.
"She was full of joy and talent," said dance instructor Lynn McMurrey. "She was the type of person who when you were down, she'd come in and you'd immediately feel better. She was tiny and brimming with energy. We kept in touch and everyone [who knew her at GCC] went to her wedding."
"It's been years since she's visited and when I heard that she was killed, it hit like bam," said McMurrey. "She is mourned deeply."
Aprahamian said that Stewart gave her so much as a mother. "She had so much love, respect and trust," she said. "We had the perfect relationship."
She also said that Stewart was a great student who loved what she chose to study, mechanical drafting. "I didn't miss anything," she said. "When she used to do ballet, I did her make up for her just to be with her like all the other parents with their children."
Even at the age of 37, she reached her goal of wanting to serve in the military in 2004. Her mother, Emmy Aprahamian, said that Stewart was determined to enlist in the military. She was even going to join with a friend when she was 17 years old, but both of them got cold feet.
"I told her that she might end up in Iraq," Aprahamian said. "But she [Carla] said, 'I have to do it. If I don't, I'll regret it for the rest of my life.' " So Stewart finally joined the military when she was 34 because the cutoff to join the military is 35.
"She really loved the military and she always wanted to be a soldier because she loved this country so much," said close friend Robin Ward. "A lot of people don't know that about her because when she was here, she was a dancer and that's that people thought of her as."
Before the military, Stewart was a graduate of Glendale's Hoover High School and attended Glendale College. She was known as a dancer and Patt Paczynski, a dancer/choreographer at the dance department, said that Carla was always up for the new dance. "She was great, funny, cheerful and easy to work with," she said.
"She was full of joy and talent," said dance instructor Lynn McMurrey. "She was the type of person who when you were down, she'd come in and you'd immediately feel better. She was tiny and brimming with energy. We kept in touch and everyone [who knew her at GCC] went to her wedding."
"It's been years since she's visited and when I heard that she was killed, it hit like bam," said McMurrey. "She is mourned deeply."
Aprahamian said that Stewart gave her so much as a mother. "She had so much love, respect and trust," she said. "We had the perfect relationship."
She also said that Stewart was a great student who loved what she chose to study, mechanical drafting. "I didn't miss anything," she said. "When she used to do ballet, I did her make up for her just to be with her like all the other parents with their children."
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