Frankie Jean Carswell

Frankie Carswell, 89, passed away on Thursday, August 1, 2024 at Silver Bluff Village. A native of Haywood County, she was the daughter of the late Frank Wilson and Virginia Allison Franklin. Frankie was raised at The Children’s Home in Winston Salem and graduated from R.J. Reynolds High School. Upon returning to Waynesville, she worked at Dayco, Northwestern Bank, and was the business manager at Dancer’s Point of Sylva. In addition, she taught piano lessons in her home.

Frankie is remembered for her elaborate though engaging childhood stories from growing up in the Methodist children’s home in Winston Salem, stories that her children and grandchildren begged to hear until they laughed themselves to tears. Frankie could get herself into trouble in those early days, whether sneaking out past curfew or spiking matrons’ drinks. But of course, her mischievous adventures were always well-intentioned with a lesson to be learned. One of those lessons included the importance of standing up and speaking up for others amid injustice. Frankie was well-aware of the challenges she faced growing up in the children’s home, but not once did her determination waver. She showed up to Dayco every day until she was finally given a job. She instilled a sense of confidence and perseverance in her family, always encouraging them to continue the fight. Frankie is also remembered for her stubbornness, which she passed down to at least one daughter and two granddaughters. That stubbornness shone brightest as she never left the house without a full face of makeup, never let a server take her dinner plate so long as a crumb remained for her to eat, never re-wore a perfectly pressed outfit within a month’s time. You didn’t dare tell Frankie what to do, how to do it, or when to do it. She doted on her grandkids: judging each competitive jump from the diving board at her pool; treating them to Ammon’s Drive-In; letting them ‘win’ at mini golf in Maggie Valley. Frankie loved her family fiercely; she would fight for them in any situation. To know Frankie was to be part of her family. In her later years, Frankie could be found on the dance floor line dancing to country music. Frankie Jean was a powerful matriarch, so much so that several more powerful women in the family are named after her: her daughter Jeanna, granddaughter Jessica Jean, and great-granddaughter Eleanor Jean. We love sharing a namesake with our matriarch and will carry on her legacy with pride.

In addition to her parents, Frankie is preceded in death by her first husband of 38 years and father of her children, Wallace Carswell, son John Carswell, second husband, Don Campbell, as well as her sister, Linda Brady. Surviving are her daughters, Debbie Davis (Scott), and Jeanna Carswell (Tony Hall); granddaughters Jesse Carswell (Josh Gilliland), Lee Ann Davis; grandson Matt Carswell; and great-granddaughter Eleanor. Survivors also include her step-children Dean Campbell of Tennessee and Pam Cutshaw and her family, of Waynesville.

A Celebration of Life service will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, August 7, in the Garrett-Hillcrest Memorial Park Mausoleum. Family will greet friends following the service.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Frankie’s memory to Clothes2Kids of Haywood County, PO Box 914, Clyde, NC 28721.

A message of comfort may be left for the Carswell family and an online guest registry may be signed at www.garrettfuneralsandcremations.com