Carolyn White

Carolyn Faye Caldwell White passed away at her home in Jackson, MS on July 4, 2021 at the age of 74. She was preceded in death by her beloved parents Berlyn Gilbert Caldwell and Dora Louise Simpson Caldwell both of Lynchburg, VA.

She was born on April 19, 1947 in Lynchburg, VA at Virginia Baptist Hospital. She graduated high school in 1965 from Brookville High in Lynchburg where she was a majorette and a member of the debate team. She graduated from Saint Andrews Presbyterian College in 1969 where she received one of the two highest awards presented at their graduation. She was a history teacher for more than 50 years. He spent years teaching at several schools including EC Glass in Lynchburg, North Natchez High School, Murrah High School, and Jim Hill High School. For the last 27 years of her career she was a teacher at Jim Hill, and in 1992 she was intimately involved in the formation and success of the IB Program. She was a devoted member of Fondren Presbyterian Church in Jackson, MS where she served in many capacities including Education Committee Chair and in several other activity that was a part of the congregation’s success. She was a member of ADK Educational Sorority where she held every elected position at one time.

Mrs. White never had biological children, but her students and her cats Punkin, Larry and Mimi already miss her terribly and were an important part of her family.

To say that Mrs. White was a person who loved with her whole heart is an understatement. There was not a student or friend who did not know that they were loved and cherished. Her passing has left a whole in our hearts that will never be filled. Being a true historian, Mrs. White saved every card, letter and memento that she ever received. In addition to correspondence, she documented all the events in her life with photographs. Please know that if you met her, you held special place in her heart. However, we are at peace in knowing she is with Jesus and her beloved parents.

She is survived by her former husband Claude (Stan) White Jr (Lima, Ohio), her aunt Gertrude Simpson Duval and family (Bedford, VA), her cousin Laura Lee Nuckles (Lynchburg, VA), her nephew Walter Lawrence (Larry) Foster and his wife Courtney Foster and their two children, her niece Jennie Lee Decker and her husband Robert Earl Decker III and their two children Alexis Lee Decker and Ethan Taylor Decker (Lynchburg, VA). And her Jackson MS Chasewood Drive Family.

Everyone she met quickly became her friend. She is survived by her many of state friends including J Marie Waller (Nathalie, VA), Sharon Lawhorne (Virginia Beach, VA), Terry Hayes (Charlotte, NC), Sandy Dawson Fisher, (Lynchburg, VA), Carol Williamson Ness (Radford, VA), Carol Lynn White Wood (Gainesville GA), Claudia Beckwith (Greenville, SC), Phoebe Ann Tucker (VA); Dianne Emmit (VA), and Rachel Dixon (Fayetteville, NC).

Locally her friends included her beloved pastor Reverend Dr. Rob Lowry and her church family at Fondren Presbyterian Church, Rachel Marquez (Richland, MS), Susan A. Bender (Brandon, MS), Mary McCartney Nederhoed (Clinton, MS), Judy Deloach (Madison, MS), Natalie Tackett (Ridgeland MS) and her Jim Hill Tiger Family. There are so many other people that she considered to be friends and family that there is not enough space in an entire edition of this newspaper to list them all. Please do not feel slighted if we have failed to include you.

A memorial service will be held at 3 p.m. on July 10th at Fondren Presbyterian Church 3320 Old Canton Road, Jackson, MS 39216.

Presiding over the service is the Revered Doctor Robert W Lowry.

In lieu of flowers we are asking that donations be made to her church, Fondren Presbyterian or to the Tunica Humane Society 4500 Fox Island Road Tunica, MS 38676.

There will also be a funeral at Tharp Funeral Home in Lynchburg, VA. and graveside service at Fort Hill Memorial Cemetery in Lynchburg, VA.

In final remembrance of our family member and friend, who was always a Virginian at heart. This poem was found among her personal possessions:

Sweet Virginia Breeze by Basset and Thompson

Woke up this morning,

the wind blowing

'cross my face;

and I just had to look up above and thank somebody

for this place.

Because he must've been thinking 'bout me

when he planted

that very first dogwood tree,

cause it's where i wanna be

I'm living in the Sweet Virginia Breeze.

Take me out to the country,

Cause it feels

mighty good out there.

And when I get back

to that City of the Monuments

it doesn't matter where

I hang my hat it's home to me. The Blue Ridge Mountains

tend to set me free

and it's where I want to be,

I'm living in the Sweet ...Virginia, Sweet Virginia Breeze.

Wakes me up in the morning

(in the morning)

and rocks me to sleep at night.

(at night)

I got a red bird singing

on my windowsill,

I know everything'll be allll-right.

I'm living in the Sweet,

(Sweet Virginia),

Sweet Virginia Breeze.

Well been sitting

on the back porch,

I'm just watching

that sun come up.

That Sweet, Sweet Virginia Breeze

blowing ripples

'cross my coffee cup.

Lord you know he must've been

thinking 'bout me

when he planted that

very first dogwood tree.

Cause when that breeze

comes blowing through the trees just know

everything'll be alright.

Living in the Sweet, (Sweet Virginia) Sweet Virginia Breeze.

I'm living in the Sweet, Sweet Virginia, Sweet Virginia Breeze.

(Sweet Virginia, Sweet, Sweet Virginia Breeze, Virginia, Sweet, Sweet Virginia Breeze.)