Carolyn Jane (Ward) Black

Carolyn Jane (Ward) Black, age 83, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, passed away on July 31, 2021.  She was born in northwest Kansas to Jesse and Cora Ward. Her family relocated to southern Idaho where she attended Hammett Grade School and began her lifelong love of music by learning to play piano. She finished junior high and high school in Washington after another family move. She graduated from Kennewick High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Music Education at Central Washington College of Education where she sang in and accompanied the college choir.

After a year teaching in Kennewick, she took a position in Lancaster California where she met her lifelong sweetheart and future husband Harold Black. They married just six months after meeting and spent 60 wonderful years together. Harold’s work took their family to Virginia, Ethiopia, England and Greece. After being a fulltime mother for many years, Carolyn started a career at the Central Intelligence Agency as a finance officer.

Upon their retirement, Carolyn and Harold realized their dream of moving to the Florida Keys.  Carolyn was active in the Marathon Community Theatre where she became music director and played keyboard for performances. They eventually left the Keys for Lawrenceville, Georgia to be near their son and his family.

Carolyn is survived by her husband Harold; daughter Linda; son James and wife Melinda; daughter Laura; granddaughters Jessica and Rachel; and sister Joyce.