Carole Crumbley Elliott

Mary Carole Crumbley Elliott, known almost exclusively as “Doodle,” was born September 27, 1939, to Rueben and Margaret Turner Crumbley. The oldest of four children, she was bright, precocious, and independent from the beginning. Her daddy nicknamed her “Doodlebug” as a young child, and the name, eventually shortened to Doodle, stayed with her for a lifetime.

A Kelleytown girl to the bone, Doodle spent nearly her entire life in the community she loved. Her roots ran deep, as did her devotion to the generations of family who came before her. She attended McDonough High School and Georgia State University, but Kelleytown was always home.

An avid reader, Doodle taught herself to read before starting school. A lifelong tomboy, she loved horses, baseball, and doing things her own way. She took her first horseback ride at nine months old, and one of her earliest memories was receiving a little white Shetland pony named Mary from her grandparents, Bish and Bud-Bud Turner. She later played first base as the only girl on an all-boy baseball team. A survivor of childhood polio and the difficult physical therapy that followed, Doodle rarely complained and never let adversity slow her down.

As a high school freshman, Doodle developed an enormous crush on Charles Elliott, a handsome senior, star athlete, and undisputed big man on campus. Unfortunately, Charles hardly knew she existed. They sat beside each other in a study hall for an entire year, during which time he spoke to her exactly once. He asked if he could copy her math homework. She informed him that she wasn't even in his math class.

But Doodle didn’t forget Charles Elliott. In 1956, when he returned home on leave from the Navy, she spotted him at an American Legion Hall dance. When a square dance was called, Doodle made certain she landed in his square. This time, Charles noticed her. And 67 years, three daughters, three sons-in-law, eight grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, two horses, and countless dogs and cats later, they were still dancing when he passed away in 2023.

Doodle possessed a work ethic that bordered on religious devotion. She worked for Miss Hattie Goodhue at her credit bureau before spending 19 years as a medical assistant to Dr. Robert Foster. Following his retirement, she joined Dowling Textile Manufacturing Company as its nurse and later became Director of Human Resources. Practical, dependable, and kind-hearted, Doodle was always willing to help someone in need.

When her first grandchild arrived, Doodle discovered a new passion—being a grandmother. Fun, energetic, and endlessly interested in their lives, she became a constant presence and enthusiastic cheerleader for all eight grandchildren. She took a genuine interest in each of them and never missed an opportunity to tell them how proud she was.

An inquisitive genealogist and family historian, Doodle held a special affection for Kelley Presbyterian Church, where she had been a member for more than 80 years, and its cemetery. She delighted in taking her grandchildren on “cemetery picnics,” introducing them to long-departed relatives and recounting their lives—and often their deaths—in vivid detail.

Doodle loved Georgia bulldog football games, St. Simons Island, long walks on the beach, horse racing, gardening, volunteering, and exercising in her swimming pool. She appreciated a good afternoon nap, fresh vegetables from the garden, fried shrimp, and Aunt Elon's chocolate pie. Practical, spirited, compassionate, fun-loving, and occasionally downright goofy, Doodle was comfortable in her own skin, passed judgment on no one, and took life as it came. She made her own way, found joy in the everyday, and never worried much about what others thought. She did, however, enjoy reminding her three daughters that she was, after all, “the prettiest one.”

Doodle was the devoted wife and best friend of Charles until his death; the steady and supportive mama to Marty (Jim) Fallon, Dee (Stan) Smith, and Mary Kathryn (Edwyn) Carter; and the bursting-with-pride grandmother and great-grandmother to Jimmy (Ana) Fallon, Caroline Garrison, Ellie Kate and Tilley Garrison; Dottie (Christopher) Rich, Rosie, Weston, and Turner Rich; Elliott (Amanda) Smith, Hattie and Charles Smith; Lillie (Bill) Woodroof and Lucy Woodroof; Alex (Vanna) Carter, Mollie (Alexander) Free, and Hampton Carter. She was the beloved niece of the late Mary (George) Hood, big sister to Alex (Claire) Crumbley, the late Dottie Crumbley, and Wade (April) Crumbley; sister-in-law to Deborah (Raymond) Bailey; and a beloved aunt, cousin, and friend to legions of nieces, nephews, lifelong friends, horse racing enthusiasts, genealogy buffs, and fellow Georgia Bulldog fans.

A celebration of Doodle's life will be held on Monday, November 2, 2026, at Kelley Presbyterian Church. The family will receive friends beginning at 10:00 a.m. in the church fellowship hall, followed by the funeral service at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Kelley Presbyterian Church, 3637 Airline Road, McDonough, Georgia 30252.