She was born September 9, 1941 in Rutherfordton, NC, the daughter of Roy Rucker Smith and Betty Miller Smith. After she graduated high school, she then went on to earn an Associate’s Degree at Brevard College, and later moved to Washington, DC where she worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Carolyn moved to Charlotte in 1964 where she could be closer to her ailing father. That year she met her husband-to-be on a blind date at the Open Kitchen on Morehead St. She married in 1967, had her first child in 1970, and her second child in 1972. Carolyn and her husband were business operators of a dry cleaning chain, Holiday Dry Cleaners, which opened in 1964 and closed in 2017. She was a loving and faithful wife to her husband, Frank A. Deaton, and a wonderful mother to her two children, Tonya D. Denning and Frank Deaton II.
She was a loyal member of Myers Park Baptist Church and had many hobbies such as reading, needle point, crafting, and making jewelry.
Carolyn is survived by her son, Frank Deaton II of Charlotte; daughter, Tonya D. Denning and husband Joel Thomas Denning of Raleigh; and three grandchildren, Catherine Ann Denning, Ashley Elizabeth Denning and Rebecca Grace Denning.
Visitation will be held on Friday, April 19 from 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at Harry & Bryant Funeral home, 500 Providence Rd., Charlotte. Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 20 at Myers Park Baptist Church, 1900 Queens Rd., Charlotte. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery, Statesville, NC.
In lieu of flowers, Carolyn's wishes were to have memorials sent to the Joe Martin ALS Foundation in Charlotte.
DONATIONS
Joe Martin ALS Foundation100 N. Tryon Street #3420, Charlotte, NC 28202
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