Mrs. Mary Carole Hollingsworth

Mary Carole (Hughey) Hollingsworth, 68, Alpharetta, GA, Retired Associate Professor, Georgia Perimeter College passed away on Thursday, October 19th after bravely battling serious illness that had taken a toll on her physically.

During a career that evolved and changed, Mary Carole began college at Furman University as a music major. Marrying and having a child took precedence until the early 1980s when she had a dream of owning a doll shop. Meeting Madame Alexander in 1982 and developing a friendship with her led her to Chair the Madame Alexander Fan Club’s Birthday convention in 1985 celebrating Madame’s 90th birthday. Later in 1985, she achieved her dream and opened her store in Dunwoody, GA.

By 1990, life was changing again as Mary Carole had lost her parents, closed the store and her daughter was going off to college. She reinvented herself again going back to school to finish her Associates degree in Business from Dekalb College in 1993. She then pursued her education further, completing her BBA in Entrepreneurship from Kennesaw State in 1995 while her daughter earned her MBA. They competed together as a team and won First Place in the 1994-1995 Georgia Cup Business Plan Competition for Kennesaw and went on to compete nationally. In 1996, she earned her MBA in Entrepreneurship. Over the next year, Mary Carole took additional coursework simultaneously at Kennesaw and The University of Georgia to be able to teach Information Systems.

Finally, she had found her true calling as a college professor in Information Systems teaching several business courses. She joined the faculty at Georgia Perimeter College in 1999. She taught at Dunwoody, Decatur and most often at Clarkston Campuses before going full time Online as her health changed. She loved her students and helping them to develop skills to achieve their own dreams. Mary Carole truly enjoyed being part of the team and developed many lasting friendships. She retired from teaching in December 2015.

Her passion for education led her to be recognized as a 2010 Governors Teaching Fellow. Additionally, with her husband Norman, she co-authored college textbooks and related teaching materials.

Mary Carole was preceded in death by her parents Edith and Norman Hughey, Jr. and by her beloved husband of 39 years, C. Norman Hollingsworth. Surviving is Norman and Mary Carole’s daughter, Carole Hollingsworth of Alpharetta, GA. Mary Carole’s additional survivors are her Sister-in-Law Ann Hollingsworth Guest (Jon), Brother-in-Law David Hollingsworth and their families all of Greenville, South Carolina, several cousins and many friends and former colleagues.

Visitation will be held at Roswell Funeral Home, 950 Mansell Road, Roswell, Georgia 30076 on Sunday October 29 from 9-10 am. The Celebration of Life service will be held Sunday October 29 at 10 am at the Roswell Funeral Home chapel. The interment will be in the Green Lawn Cemetery directly behind the funeral home.

If you wish to make a donation to honor Mary Carole’s memory and help support her daughter with Mary Carole’s funeral, medical and other expenses, please visit the Mary Carole Hollingsworth Memorial Fund https://www.youcaring.com/carolehollingsworth-989997.