Carol Maxine Hewitt Willis-Wier

Carol Maxine Hewitt Willis-Wier, 91, of Mountain Brook, Alabama, passed away on March 28, 2015. Born on May 21st, 1923, in Austin, Minnesota to Edward Carroll and Ella Anne Rohr Hewitt, Carol was the second youngest and last to pass away of four sisters. After high school graduation, Mrs. Wier did WW II service in the US Marine Corps, where she was trained in Morse code radio operation and secretarial skills. While serving in San Francisco, she met Capt. James Willis, also a Marine. They were married in Louisville in 1946. They lived there, in Charleston, in Mobile, and finally in Birmingham, where Mr. Willis had been named State Traffic Manager for South Central Bell. In Birmingham Carol quickly became immersed in volunteer as well as professional activities. She did secretarial work for Metalplate and Coatings and for H & R Block. She was also a dedicated volunteer for Red Cross, administering disaster funds, managing volunteers for the blood program at TCI and logging the time that resulted in her receiving a Thousand-Hour Citation and an Outstanding Service Award. It was not long after this, having joined Republican Women of the South, that Carol found her true passion in life -- political work. Her experiences with the Nixon campaign of 1960 made her aware that Republican conservative thought was on the rise in Alabama. Appointments with the Goldwater campaign ( Director of Communications for 11 southern states), the Grenier for Senate bid and George Seibels for Mayor followed. Despite the death of her husband in 1965, Carol soldiered on. She was a delegate to the 1968 National Republican Convention in Miami. This led to a job with the party as Finance Secretary for the Alabama State Executive Committee (1970). Then Carol was called to Washington as "Girl Friday" for Martha Mitchell, wife of Attorney General John Mitchell.

It was in DC, at the Watergate Apartments, that Carol met Navy Lt. Commander Richard Wier and found her companion in later life. Carol and Richard moved to Birmingham, married, and made a home there. They entered into life as St. Luke's parishioners. Carol was active in the Altar Guild, as a member of the hand bell choir and as Wedding Director both for St. Luke's and nearby Mountain Brook Baptist. Carol was admired by friends and family as a beautiful, intelligent and determined woman and a good citizen. She will be missed. Details of Carol’s life can be found in Wonderland, a book that was written about her life by Lisa Milberger Moore. Carol is survived by two nieces, Bonnie Cole of Asheville, North Carolina, and Judy Donaldson of Birmingham, grand nieces, Sarah and Anne Donaldson, Trisha Cole Mahoney and grandnephews Finian Mahoney and Eddie Wortman. Memorial service for Mrs. Wier will be held Wednesday, April 8th at 2:30 PM at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 3736 Montrose Road, Mountain Brook, with visitation afterward. Donations may be made to St. Luke's or to the Birmingham Humane Society, 300 Snow Dr. Birmingham, AL 35209. Condolences can be left at www.ridoutsvalleychapel.com.