Our beloved Carey Gunn Venditti, of Austin, Texas, passed away at her home on January 10, 2019. Carey spent a beautiful last week on earth relaxing in Martinique and chasing rainbows with her husband, Eric Venditti, and her stepdaughter, Eleanor.
Carey was born in Dallas, Texas, on January 1, 1969 to Peggy and William (Bill) T. Gunn III, the younger of two children. She graduated from St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Austin, class of 1986. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas, class of 1990. She received her Juris Doctor from Catholic University’s Columbus School of Law, in Washington D.C., class of 1993. A few years after law school, she moved to Vail, Colo., where she met her first husband, Brad Helm, with whom she spent many happy years. Carey remained dear friends with Brad’s family until the day she died. It was also during this time she rescued Sydney, her canine soulmate.
In 2011, she met her second husband and love of her life, Eric Venditti. They were married at La Cathedrale Americaine de Paris on June 15, 2013, with Eleanor as a flower girl and her sister, Ceecy, as matron of honor. Carey was fiercely dedicated to Eleanor and especially enjoyed sharing her love of music and the arts with her. Carey and Eric shared a passion for the arts, good food, travel and everything Austin.
In her legal career, Carey consistently held leadership positions. She, along with her first husband, Brad, and Daniel Wolf, opened the firm Wolf Helm LLC in Vail. In 2006, Carey relocated back home to Austin and took a position with Armbrust & Brown, PLLC. She subsequently practiced real estate law at Winstead PC and then Greenberg Traurig, LLP. Her career culminated with her move to DLA Piper to head the firm’s Austin Real Estate Practice. Carey thrived at DLA Piper, and during her time there she shepherded some of Austin’s biggest real estate deals with grit, intelligence, and grace. The firm is deeply grateful for her leadership and mourns the loss of a great friend and partner. In 2018, Carey was selected as District Council Chair for Urban Land Institute Austin (ULI), the first woman ever to be selected for this position.
Carey pursued her dreams and her passions and inspired others to do the same. She instilled the value of good education and a love of the arts, especially music, and a strong sense of fashion in her husband, stepdaughter, and many others along the way. Carey loved to support women and women’s issues, and always made time to mentor, network, or support people around her as demonstrated by her participation in the many organizations that benefitted from her talents and devotion, including co-founding the Gore Range Women’s Bar Association (CO), of which she was president. In Austin, Carey served on the Executive Board of the Austin Symphony Orchestra, the Management Committee of ULI (see above), as a mentor and Advisory Council Member of The University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business Real Estate Investment and Finance Center (REFIC), Dress for Success, Community First! Village of Mobile Loaves & Fishes, and the Women’s Leadership Initiative. Carey’s legacy would be to value the women in your lives: please tell them what they mean to you and support them in their lives and careers. She inspired so many and we are all fortunate to have known and loved her.
Carey is preceded in death by her mother Marguerite (Peggy) Spence Gunn. She is survived by her husband, Eric Venditti, her stepdaughter, Eleanor, her father, Bill Gunn, and her sister and brother-in-law, Christina Gunn Robinson (Ceecy) and George E. Robinson III, and their two sons, her beloved nephews, Bremond and Reed, as well as many loving cousins, aunts and uncles. Carey was a loving and caring wife, daughter, sister, aunt, cousin, and mentor and her memory will be cherished by her family and her many friends. She will be missed so very much.
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Carey’s family wishes to thank everyone who gave her companionship, support, love and joy throughout her life.
Funeral services will be held January 26, 2019 at 2 p.m. at St. David’s Episcopal Church with a reception immediately following in St. David’s Grand Hall.
Visitation will be held January 25, 2019 from 3-7:30 p.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral home, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd.
The family requests that memorial gifts in lieu of flowers be made to:
The Austin Symphony Orchestra
1101 Red River Street
Austin, Texas 78701
Austin Symphony Memorial Gift
https://my.austinsymphony.org/dev/contribute2.aspx?don=15&fieldAmt=
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary
Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya
Reteti Elephant Sanctuary Memorial Gift
https://secure2.convio.net/cintl/site/Donation2?df_id=14564&mfc_pref=T&14564.donation=form1
Austin Achieve Public Schools
MANOR ROAD CAMPUS
5908 Manor Road
Austin, TX 78723
Austin Achieve Memorial Gift
https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/d6c779ef-bc89-4ea9-9839-f717263886b8
Pease Park Conservancy
P.O. Box 50065
Austin, TX 78763
Pease Park conservancy Memorial Gift
https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/d6c779ef-bc89-4ea9-9839-f717263886b8
Remembrances may be left at http://www.wcfish.com.
