Caroline “Carol” Louise was born in Wilmington, DE on August 1st, 1952, to Caroline Louise Mansfield Sutherland and Gordon Sutherland. Carol and her mother were delighted to share a birthday: “She was the best birthday present I ever received,” Caroline often quips. Carol joined her one-year-old brother, Eric, in the Sutherland home and the family soon welcomed Steven in 1953 and Linda in 1954.
When Carol was young her family moved from the bustle of Delaware to the green and rolling hills of Cumberland, Maryland. Carol and her siblings thoroughly enjoyed this quiet corner of the world, and the freedoms which came with rural living: biking around the neighborhood, playing ball in the side yard, dabbling in the creek outback, and taking the occasional dip in a swimming hole along the Potomac River. The family was actively involved in St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, and the four Sutherland children were proud Campers of Allegany High School.
In 1969, just before Carol’s senior year at Allegany, the Sutherland family moved back to Delaware for a job opportunity. It was a difficult transition for all, but Carol made the best of it and put on her brightest smile when she crossed the stage as a member of the Class of 1970 at Dickinson High School. She began attending University of Delaware, studying home economics. However, some peculiar health incidents and an eventual diagnosis of Myasthenia Gravis slowed down her studies. Though she continued to wrestle with Myasthenia Gravis for the rest of her life, Carol did not allow the autoimmune disorder to stymy her goals. She continued on with her college studies and graduated from U of D in 1978.
Carol met Tom Szewczyk through her sister, Linda. Tom was good friends with Linda’s husband-to-be, Chuck Thornton; and Carol soon became “good friends” with Tom as well. Carol and Tom were married in October 1978. Just over a year later, in November 1979, the couple welcomed their first child: Caroline “Carrie” Louise. Carol was delighted to be a mother and poured her energy into caring for her daughter, cooking, sewing, and organizing family gatherings. Carol delivered their second child, a son, in February 1982: Gregory Charles.
Carrie and Greg were the joy of Carol’s life. Throughout their childhoods, Carol’s days were filled with ferrying them to activities and sports events, crafting beautiful quilts for them, and creating scrapbooks to tell the story of their life together. Though Carol and Tom parted ways in 2000, she continued to champion time together with Carrie and Greg. She loved nothing more than inviting her children over for a weekend of yard work…overseen by her discerning eye! Saturday morning calls were a given, and holiday get-togethers were much anticipated. Carol also found joy in “mothering” many children in her neighborhood–having them over to chat, sharing snacks with them, and teaching them to love and name the backyard birds she cherished.
Carol was a faithful daughter to Caroline and Gordon: helping them as they entered old age, calling or visiting them on a daily basis, and walking alongside her mother in grief after Gordon passed away in 2012. Each morning between 8:00 and 10:00, Carol would call Caroline to say good morning, discuss how well or poorly each had slept, and chat about the day ahead. In addition to being mother and daughter, they were dear friends.
Carol greatly anticipated being a grandmother, and smiled broadly when she heard the news of her granddaughter’s birth on August 24 of this year. She smiled even more broadly when she heard there’d be yet another Caroline Louise in the family! Though Carol had only 70 days with baby Lulu, she wrapped her in love–beaming as she held her close–and shared her exciting news and pictures with anyone and everyone.
Carol passed away at Christiana Hospital due to health complications on Saturday, November 2. Waiting to greet her are her father Gordon, uncles Ed and Charles, and four-legged friends Toby and Charlie. Carol’s mother, Caroline, will miss her daily calls; her daughter, Carrie, will miss their Sat Chats; her son, Greg, will miss witnessing her loving interactions with all people; her daughter-in-law, Julia, will miss having morning coffee together on the back patio; and her granddaughter, Louise, will miss knowing this person who so anticipated her existence. Carol will also be missed by her older brother Eric Sutherland (Linda J.), younger brother Steven Sutherland, her dear sister and friend Linda Thornton (Chuck), many nieces and nephews, and her Aunt Gwen along with all the rest of the beloved Moran/DeGroot clan.
Family and friends will be gathering to collectively remember and celebrate Carol’s life on Monday, November 11, 2024, at St. Philip’s Lutheran Church, 5320 Limestone Road, Wilmington, DE. The visitation will be at 10:00 am with the service following at 11:00 am, officiated by Rev. Patrick Downes. A private burial at All Saints Cemetery, Wilmington, DE will follow at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider planting a tree or hanging a bird feeder.
Funeral by McCrery & Harra Funeral Homes.
