Carol D. Showalter

Carol Mae Davidson Showalter of Orleans died peacefully surrounded by her family on Friday, April 9, 2021. Carol was born on August 3, 1937, the second child and only daughter of James Davidson Jr. and Lillian Mae Blakely.

Although she was raised in the church, she did not come to the understanding of a personal relationship with Christ until she was a young adult, when she committed her life to Jesus.

Carol married the Rev. Dr. William Price Showalter on October 13, 1961, and they were married for fifty-six years before his death in February 2018. Together they raised five children. She was preceded in death by her daughter Helen Bonney, but is survived by Helen’s husband Peter, her son Timothy (Natalya) Showalter, daughter Elizabeth Showalter, son Peter Showalter, and brother/son Brian (Christine) Davidson. She is also survived by her brother Stephen (Linda) Davidson, sister-in-law Nancy Dowdy, twelve grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Carol studied at Northbridge High School in Whitinsville, MA, the University of Bridgeport, CT, and the Young Life Institute in Colorado Springs. She took courses in typing, shorthand, psychology, and Old and New Testament. As a single woman Carol served with Young Life and the Billy Graham Crusade in Philadelphia. After her marriage to Bill, she served faithfully alongside him as a pastor’s wife at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Bridgeport, CT, and Parkminster Presbyterian Church in Rochester, NY. She was the author of 3D: Diet, Discipline, and Discipleship, which led to 3D groups being formed worldwide and a ministry of speaking engagements and retreats. She later authored Your Whole Life. She is remembered as having her home always open to immigrants and others in need, church members, family, and friends.

Carol and Bill became vowed members of the Community of Jesus in Orleans in 1976 and resident members in 1984. There Carol’s gifts as a visionary and organizer were used over the years as she served as co-chairman of the Star-Spangled Spectacular and Advent Festival, in marketing and sales for Paraclete Press, and fundraising for the Church of the Transfiguration. She was deeply committed to the Community and gave tirelessly and joyfully of her time and resources over the years, and treasured the deep friendships she developed with the Community of Jesus family.

Carol’s family will never forget her vibrant faith, boundless energy, lavishly expressed love, and flair for fun and adventure. On her eightieth birthday she treated her family to an obstacle course at Plantation Park in Sandwich in which she herself participated fully, finishing with a ride from an elevated platform down a zipline to the cheers of the crowd.

Her travels took her through four continents with especially memorable trips to her father's original home in Scotland, an extended stay in England, as well as in Italy and Israel. The family will gather on Tuesday, April 13th at 10 AM for a private viewing at Nickerson Funeral Home in Orleans, followed by a graveside service at the Orleans Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to the Community of Jesus, Box 1094, Orleans, MA 02653 or Arts Empowering Life Foundation, 1732 1st Avenue, #27457, New York, NY 10018.

https://www.communityofjesus.org/donate-2/

https://artsempoweringlife.org/donate/