Carolyn Sue Blake

Carolyn Sue Blake of Fredericksburg, Virginia, passed away of complications from COVID on April 14th, 2022, at the age of 81. She was surrounded by her loving family. Sue was born in Philadelphia, PA, the daughter of the late Charles R. and Gladys W. Schank. She grew up in Lancaster, PA, and was a graduate of Millersville State University. Sue and her husband, John Blake, lived for 25 years in Danville, VA, where she taught elementary school and was a member of the Church of the Epiphany. They moved to Raleigh, NC, where they lived for 21 years. In Raleigh, Sue was an active member of St. John’s Episcopal Church and choir and also sang with the Northeast Piedmont Chorale. She and John recently moved to Fredericksburg, VA, to be close to family, which was the most important thing to her.

She was predeceased by her identical twin sister, Patricia A. Overcash, and her brother Charles E. Schank. She is survived by her loving husband of 60 years, John Blake, her daughters Anne Cleverley and husband Stan of Fredericksburg, VA, Kathy “Katy” Blake and husband Barry Wilson of New York, NY, Julia Bilodeau and husband Michael of Mechanicsville, VA, and her brother David R. Schank and wife Marty of Durango, CO. She was the aunt of Carolyn Zehrer, Diana Connolly (deceased), Fred Zehrer, Amanda Erickson, Kevin Schank, Kristen Burnette, and Lauren Kaiser. She loved being a grandmother to her four grandchildren, Adrienne and Blake Cleverley, Will and Ethan Fitch, and two step-grandchildren, Nathaniel and Kyle Bilodeau.

Sue’s dear friends were second only to her family and she never met a stranger. She could talk to anyone anywhere – including the NYC subway and the bathroom at Walt Disney World.

She will be missed.

A Celebration of her Life will be held at St. John’s Episcopal Church located at 834 Durham Road in Wake Forest, NC, on May 7, 2022, at 2:00PM.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in her name to the Covid-19 response group of WHO. https://covid19response.who.foundation or to the Swan’s Island Historical Society https://www.swansislandhistory.org