Charlotte Ann Caldwell

Ann was born on November 20, 1927, in Baltimore, Maryland, to her mother Charlotte Ann (Kirby) Harbaugh and Vernon Leslie Harbaugh. Her sister, Jane Worth Harbaugh, was born on April 24, 1930, and was Ann’s best friend and confidant throughout her life.

Ann relished the opportunity to share memories of her childhood in Charm City with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She wove tales of the city into a tapestry of childhood memory: riding the streetcar down Charles Street to visit the dentist when she was not more than nine years old; selling parking spots for baseball games for a nickel each then buying candy and movie tickets with the earnings; the smell of peach cakes baking at the corner bakery and taste of a proper, full-lump crab cake; the riotous, joyful singing of family and friends gathered around her home’s piano.

She and her sister Jane moved with their parents to Floral Park, New York, when Ann was 12 years old. She attended Bellerose Elementary School and then moved up to Sewanhaka High School, where she was during World War Two, and graduated in 1945. While she recalled good memories from her time in Long Island, she found herself pulled back to Baltimore, where she enrolled in the Church Home and Hospital’s nursing program, which was associated with Johns Hopkins University. Ann became a registered nurse and trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital, where she was proud to witness in theatre one of the world’s first open-heart surgeries. She went on to specialize in psychiatric nursing and was rapidly promoted to the position of nurse supervisor at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Soon her attention turned to her one true love, John “Jack” Hoos Caldwell, whom she married in 1952. Shortly before they were married, Jack brought his parents over to the Harbaugh household. According to Ann, when her father opened the door, he was shocked and pleased to find an old friend on his doorstep—the lovebirds’ fathers had served in the same units during World War One and were overjoyed that their children had found their way to one another. When asked about Jack, Ann liked to mention that he loved her blue eyes and olive skin.

After marrying, Jack and Ann started a family in earnest and didn’t slow down—they had five children in five years. John Vernon Caldwell arrived first, followed by Jane, Kirby, Richard, and finally Leslie. Jack’s job as a salesman at Shenango China moved the family from Baltimore to Raleigh, North Carolina, then to Knoxville, Tennessee, and finally to Memphis, Tennessee, where the family of seven settled in 1964.

Ann’s beloved husband passed away on October 29, 1966, leaving her as the widowed mother of five children, ages ten to fourteen. She forged forward bravely after her loss and is remembered by her children’s friends as being a giving, kind mother while building a new life for herself and her children. Ann and her children fondly recalled trips to Chattanooga to see “Biggie,” their dear aunt Jane, who was a loyal and supportive sister and important source of escape and fun for the five children.

Arlington Developmental Center (ADC) soon became Ann’s new workplace. During her time at this Tennessee State facility for people with developmental disabilities, she ascended to the role of Director of Nursing. She committed herself to supporting people who deserved quality care but who could not always advocate for themselves. She eventually left ADC to join Developmental Disabilities Management Services, where she provided oversight of care at group homes in Louisiana, Utah, and other states. She retired in 1999.

During her golden years, Ann was blessed with a host of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her door was always open to her adult children and grandchildren when needed: as a place to sleep over to be closer to friends, a temporary or permanent home, and every Christmas as a circus of presents, food, and beloved traditions. She also traveled frequently to Europe with her sister, eventually determining that Portofino, Italy, was heaven on earth. As she grew older and her body began to fail her, her mind stayed sharp by reading as much as one book a day. She loved playing puzzles and watching television game shows, and even became as adept at using social media as her great grandchildren were—all to keep up with everyone’s busy lives.

Charlotte is survived by her eldest son John Vernon Caldwell, his daughter Tara, and his wife Peggy; her first daughter Jane Burlingham, her husband Mark, and their children Amy Wages (Mike) and Brian Burlingham (Amanda);her son Kirby and his wife Charlotte, daughter Casey Caldwell Long (Joseph) son Nathan (Jenaan), and step daughter Kim Taylor (John), her son Richard “Dick” Caldwell, his wife Lisa, and their daughters Courtney Goodell (Chris) and Taylor King (Nick) and son Christopher; and her youngest daughter Leslie and her two daughters Lauren “Nickie” (Brent) and Katie Swafford (Alec). She is also survived by a baker’s dozen great-grandchildren.

The entire extended family expresses deep gratitude to Leslie for being their mother’s loyal caregiver and companion for the past decade of Charlotte’s life.

Funeral services will be held on Thursday, July 11, 2024, at Memphis Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens. The address is 3700 N. Germantown Parkway, Bartlett, TN, 38133. Visitation will be hosted from 9–10 a.m., followed by funeral services at 10 a.m.

Charlotte requested that memorial donations be made in her name to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.