Carol Ann Priest

Carol Ann Utterback Priest, 80, of North Chesterfield, VA, went to be with her Lord & Savior on December 16, 2025. Her passing was unexpected as she was making special preparations and was looking so forward to spending Christmas with her family.

Carol was born on August 13, 1945 to James Farrell and Marjorie Lewis Utterback in Bangor, Maine. The family moved to Pasadena, California and Carol grew up with her younger siblings, Mary Jane and Jimmy. During her high school years Carol was active in drill team and forensics, and took great pride in working on floats for the Rose Bowl Parade. After high school, Carol studied at Pasadena City College and worked at All State Insurance.

In 1965, Carol met the love of her life, Jerry. They married in 1966 and had three children, Kari, Jason, and Dean.

In 1975, the family moved to Richmond, Virginia where they quickly began building lifelong friendships at Southside Church of the Nazarene. The desire of Carol’s heart was to be a homemaker and mother. Her children and grandchildren gave her so much joy and purpose. She had an amazing gift of hospitality and loved hosting friends, family, and missionaries from all over the world – any reason to have a fiesta and serve her celebrated tacos. Carol loved to travel and experience other cultures. She had a heart for missions and participated in many of Southside’s trips to the Dominican Republic where she made lasting connections. She enjoyed teaching Sunday School and serving alongside Jerry in outreach to the Cambodian community at Southside and All Nations Church. Whether it was praying with a clerk at a store or witnessing to her seatmate on a plane, Carol took advantage of every opportunity to share the love of Jesus. Carol spent the better part of the last 10 years being the most loving full-time caregiver to her husband, Jerry until his passing on April 4, 2023. They are joyfully reunited in the presence of Jesus.

Carol was preceded in death by husband Jerry, parents James and Marjorie Utterback, and sister Mary Jane Tyler. She is survived by brother James, and her three children, daughter, Kari (Brad) Badgerow, and sons Jason (Melinda), and Dean (Kristen); grandchildren Andy (Meg), Zach & Katie Badgerow, and Tyler, Cade, Sydney & Joseph Priest; and great-granddaughters Holly and Jane Badgerow.

The family will receive friends at a viewing to be held at Woody’s Funeral Home on Huguenot Road on Sunday evening, December 28 from 4-8 pm. Services will be held at Southside Church of the Nazarene on Monday, December 29 at 12 pm, followed by an internment at Dale Memorial Park.