Carole Strother Carter

She was a spitfire and an immensely intelligent woman who loved her people deeply. Mo was born Carole Ann Strother in Alexandria, Louisiana, on August 2, 1935, and she never did lose that Louisiana accent. She was an only child but was always surrounded by a big family of cousins, aunts, and uncles. She loved to regale anyone who would listen with stories about the loved ones in her childhood, and it gives us comfort knowing she’s with them all again.

She studied piano at SMU under the renowned Paul van Katwijk, who said she was one of his most promising students, and graduated from the Meadows School of the Arts in 1957. She played the piano as if it were an extension of her body and spent the rest of her life impressing anyone who had the privilege to listen to her play. Her love and appreciation of music taught us all to always see the beauty in every note of life.

Longing for a big family, she created one of her own and raised her three daughters as a NASA family during the height of the space race in Friendswood, Texas. She was the organist at Friendswood United Methodist Church for over 10 years, volunteered at Friendswood High School, and taught piano lessons to everyone in town. The family estimated that she must have taught piano to hundreds of students over the years, and she left a lifelong impression on each of them. She then returned to Dallas to work for her alma mater and proudly sent all three of her daughters to SMU.

Fiercely loyal, she lived each moment for her family and was always on our side. She remembered every detail about all her children’s and grandchildren’s lives; she was everyone’s confidante, everyone’s biggest advocate, and everyone’s go-to phone call.

She knew something about everything, from cooking gumbo to grammar rules to anything about music or history. She could have written an encyclopedia from scratch (if she could have ever gotten her computer to work). She was sharp until the very end, always willing to dive into a deep discussion about religion or politics or Ancient Aliens.

She loved collecting antiques, and her home was full of ornate art, silver, and heavy furniture. At one point her grandson counted that she had 22 unique chairs in the home where she lived by herself. Everything she owned had a story behind it, and she was constantly trying to gift her loved ones all of her belongings.

Always quick to bring humor to any situation, whether she was holding up the checkout line at Home Depot or in the operating room about to undergo surgery, she was absolutely hilarious. Family group chats consisted mostly of funny things she had said that day. She had the softest cheeks, the bluest eyes, and a mischievous smile.

A three-time cancer survivor, she was the absolute worst patient her doctors and nurses had ever seen, but she was their favorite, anyway. Her oncology nurse would switch shifts to make sure she was on the schedule when she saw that Mo had an appointment.

Even when her eyesight began to fail her and her body grew tired, her mastery of the piano endured. Every holiday ended with everyone gathered around her at the piano, where she could make even Jingle Bells sound like Rachmaninoff. Family gatherings will never be the same.

Mo is survived by her three daughters, Susan Slocomb, Catherine Carter, and Jennifer Huggard (Ron), six grandchildren, JT Todaro, Courtney Dinyarian (Farzin), Olivia Todaro, Melanie Shafranek (Justin Solano), Drew Shafranek (Mia Fitzgibbon), and Erin Shafranek (Maxx Basso), five great-grandchildren, and numerous other step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren, cousins, and friends who became family, who all feel lost without their matriarch. She was irreplaceable, truly one of a kind, and her enormous presence and unwavering love and support will be missed more than words can ever express. As long as we continue to love one another, a part of her will always be with us. We love you, Mo Mo. We will endure a lifetime of missing you for the privilege of loving you and being loved by you.

We’ll be looking at the moon, but we’ll be seeing you.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to Mo's devoted doctors, nurses, and caregivers who cared for her with such compassion, kindness, and love over the past several months. Your exceptional care, patience, and dignity will never be forgotten.

Visitation will be held on Monday, August 3, 2026, from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Calvary Hill Funeral Home. A funeral service will be held in Cox Chapel at Highland Park United Methodist Church on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., followed by a burial service at Calvary Hill Cemetery.

Family and friends may make memorial donations to Mo’s beloved alma mater, SMU:

Online: SMU.edu/GiveNow Choose Meadows School of the Arts/Departments/Music at Meadows Note: In memory of Carole A. Carter

By mail to: SMU Gift Processing PO Box 750402 Dallas, TX 75275-0402 Please note: To Benefit Meadows Division of Music in memory of Carole A. Carter