Nancy Carolyn Pope

Carolyn entered nursing school in 1962. During this time, nursing school was extremely strict. You couldn’t be married, uniforms had to be crisply pressed and it required living in the dorms beside the hospital. In August of 1962, Carolyn went on a blind date with Harvey Pope. Afterwards, she told her parents she was okay if she didn’t see him again. The second impression must have been much improved, because she married him 3 weeks later. This required her to give up one dream to pursue another, creating a family.

Carolyn and Harvey were married September 8th, 1962. The had 3 beautiful daughters and enjoyed beach trips and life on the dairy farm. She was able to return to her other dream in 1974 when she returned to nursing school at Davidson County Community College. She spent her career in the Emergency Room at Thomasville Medical Center and in ICU at High Point Hospital carding for patients like they were family. Carolyn and Harvey stuck by each other through good times and bad until Harvey’s death in November 1997. Carolyn never remarried after losing her soulmate. Instead she devoted the rest of her life to caring for her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Until we could return the favor over the last few months of her life.

On February 19th, 2021, at 9:05 a.m., Carolyn left her earthly home to return to Harvey at their eternal home. Carolyn was surrounded by family and friends the last few weeks of her life. She died following an extended illness in the comfort of her eldest daughter’s home, which honored her wishes.

Carolyn was born February 9th 1943 to Carl and Maxine Ward Flowers. Because her father was deployed from 1943-1944, her mother showed her pictures of her Daddy everyday and told her who he was. When he returned home when Carolyn was almost 2, she was unsure of him at first until she realized he was the “Daddy in the picture.” After that he couldn’t leave the room with her going with him.

Since her father was in the army, they lived in numerous places, including New Orleans, which was one of Carolyn’s favorites. They ended up settling in Thomasville. Carolyn was the older of 5 children and one of 3 daughters. She was always numerous. One day as a young girl, she wanted to go outside but her mom had locked the screen door so she couldn’t. But she waited for her moment. When the door was opened for the delivery man, she escaped and sang “Free, Free, Free. Thank God I’m free.” She graduated from Fair Grove High School in 1961.

Carolyn loved caring for people. Her love and devotion to her family and her patients was lovingly instilled and woven throughout her family, as 3 daughters and her only granddaughter filled in her footsteps and pursued careers in the nursing field as either a CNA or nurses. She had an avid love for reading, enjoying authors such as Mary Higgins Clark, Danielle Steele, and Nicholas Sparks. She was extremely organized with her belongings coordinated and in their place. She helped care for Harvey’s garden; snapping green beans, and canning fruits and vegetables. In the winter, she would make the best cream candy. She loved Elvis, the Gaithersburg, 50’s music and most country music. She loved Cinderella, Snow White, Gone with the Wind, The Wizard of Oz and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (the original, of course). She loved the beach, carousels and Mickey Mouse. Later in life, she developed a love for jewelry. She bought numerous pieces to wear and share with her loved ones. She maintained her sense of humor, dressing up as Yoda for Halloween the year she lost her hair from chemotherapy during her battle with breast cancer. She was compassionate, showering love and empathy to every she came in contact with.

She loved fiercely and did everything she could to provide for her family throughout her life. She lived with her eldest daughter when her granddaughter had to be on a heart monitor as an infant. She moved her middle daughter and 2 grandsons in with her when they needed the safe comfort of home the most. She kept her youngest 2 grandchildren to allow her youngest daughter and son-in-law to work full time and support their family without the stress of arranging childcare. She took care of Harvey through his battle with kidney cancer, even when he didn’t want her to. Her grandkid’s friends were her adoptive grandchildren and only knew her as grandma. She was a loving souls who instilled love and compassion in her family and provided love, support and help to anyone who needed it.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Maxine Ward Flowers, her husband Harvey Leon Pope, and her brother and sister-in-law Marion and Donna Chapman Flowers. She is survived by her 3 daughters and her spouses: Robin and Jimmy Keever, Regina and Keith Parker, and Nancy and Johnny Gillespie. Two sisters and their spouses: Teresa and Greg Millikan and Renee and Jeff Purdue and one brother: Mark Flowers. Seven grandchildren: Timothy (Lindi) Beheler, Krystal (Chad) Freeman, Patrick (Jessica) Beheler, Anthony (Skylar) Keever, Candace (Ben) Brewer, Jonathan Gillispie and Jacob Gillispie. Eleven great grandchildren: Camryn, Tristen, Rylie, Aniston, Parker, Anberlin, Logan, Chandler, Matthew, Kara and Benjamin. And numerous “adopted” grandchildren.

The family will receive friends at Dignity: Sechrest-Davis Funeral Home in Thomasville on Friday February 26th 6 pm-8pm. A service to honor her life will be held in the funeral home chapel on Saturday February 27th at 12 noon with entombment in the mausoleum at Holly Hill Cemetery immediately following. Other times the family will gather at her eldest daughter’s home at 216 S Westwood Ave in Thomasville.