Carolyn Ann Harvey, a remarkable woman—vivacious, beautiful, full of charm, wit, and deeply connected to the people around her, passed away Monday, May 26th at Adventist Hospital White Oak Medical Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. She was 75.
She was born to Helen Tate Harvey and Herbert Whitley Harvey, MD on December 8, 1949, in Durham, North Carolina at Lincoln Hospital.
Carolyn got her social skills from her mother, who was active in black social clubs like Jack and Jill and the Epicureans as well as a local Council on Human Relations.
Carolyn graduated from a historic Catholic boarding school for African American and Native American girls in Powhatan County, Virginia, the St. Francis de Sales School, located on a former plantation.
She attended Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Massachusetts, where she met many lifelong friends. She graduated from the University of Hartford with a bachelor’s degree and received her Master of education in University Administration at Howard University.
Carolyn was married and divorced twice. She hosted parties and had an exciting life in New York City, where she once worked for Amtrak as a host on the New York to Montreal train route. She also managed an office for a computer consulting company on Madison Avenue.
When she moved to Washington, DC, Carolyn worked in development and fundraising for M. Carl Holman, who was president of the National Urban Coalition. She was always proud of her connection to Mr. Holman, his wife and adult children, who adopted her like part of their family when her own parents died.
For many years, Carolyn was a grants project administrator at George Washington University and, also at Howard University, before retiring.
Her friends would all agree, she was authentic and full of life and laughter.
It was a fun life for Carolyn. She was also fiercely loyal to her friends and always had their backs.
Despite declining health and mobility issues toward the end of her life, she didn’t let those things get her down. She faced using a wheelchair and scooter with a certain flair, maintaining her sense of fashion when she went out to meet friends for lunch or dinner.
Carolyn is survived by her brother, Bill Harvey, who is a retired researcher in Sacramento, California, her sister-in-law Deborah Harvey; two nieces, Angela Bradeen and Terra Harvey; and cousins Kathy ,Tiffany and Jason McBride, Pamela Harvey, Sam Tate and Louis Tate, as well as a host of friends all over the country.
Carolyn’s spirit will live on in our hearts.
We invite you to join us in celebrating Carolyn's life on this dedicated webpage. Your condolences, stories, videos and pictures will be cherished by the family and provide comfort during this difficult time.
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