Carolyn Dickert Chandler

Carolyn raised her two children, Bobbie and Ron, on her own in the 1950s, and she never let them feel like they were missing a thing. She worked harder than anyone around her, climbing her way up at the bank through grit and grace to become a standout employee at a time when women were rarely given the chance. She broke the glass ceiling quietly, the way she did everything, and taught her family by example what it means to earn your place in this world with your head held high.

She was a devoted Christian who loved wholeheartedly and covered her family in prayer every single day. Her faith was not something she kept on a shelf. It was in how she loved, how she forgave, and how she showed up for people.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, John Chandler, who passed in 2008; her sister, Betty; her sister, Helen; and her brothers, Charlie, Burt, and Buck. Carolyn and Betty were inseparable their whole lives, known to most of the family as Thelma and Louise, and the two of them loved cheering on their older sister Helen as she built up Kohn Printing in Columbia. The family takes comfort knowing they are all together again.

To her grandchildren she was Granny, and she was a true Southern granny in every sense. Her sweet tea was almost as sweet as she was, and that is saying something. She loved her crossword puzzles and her people most of all. Every morning, until her body would no longer let her, she took her walk through the neighborhood, and the neighborhood dogs would fall right in step beside her like she was one of their own. Some of her happiest days were spent at the lake and summers in her camper at Ocean Lakes Campground, memories her family will treasure forever.

She is survived by her children, Bobbie and Ron; her grandchildren, Johnathan, Alex, Julie, Kelsey, and Olivia; and her great-grandchildren, Aurora, Tilly, Carolina, Eyerusalem "Rue", Taylor, Ruth, Caleb, and Lexi. Every one of them carries a piece of her, whether it is her stubborn work ethic, her tender heart, or her gift for loving people well.

A graveside service will be held Wednesday, June 17, 2026, at 1:30 PM at Greenlawn Memorial Park, 845 Leesburg Rd, Columbia, SC 29209.

Carolyn's race is finished. Her faith is now sight. And somewhere up there, the tea is sweet, the crossword is done in pen, and she is walking again with John.

"Goodbye, goodbye... I am going home."

Pendry's Lenoir Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Carolyn Dickert Chandler.