Dr. Carolyn Carmichael, 86

January 23, 2024

Carolyn Wilson Carmichael went home to be with her Lord and Savior on January 23, 2024. She was the beloved wife and best friend of John (Jack) Carmichael with whom she celebrated 60 years of marriage in 2023.

Carolyn was born January 30, 1937, in Queens, New York to Walter and Frances Wilson. She was the older sister to her late brother Rowan Scott Wilson.

Education
Carolyn spent her childhood in Queens where she became a follower of Jesus. She attended Flushing High School before completing her senior year at Wheaton Academy in Wheaton, Illinois where her faith was nurtured and deepened. A first-generation college student, Carolyn attended Houghton College her freshman year before transferring to The King’s College and received her bachelor’s degree in Christian Education (1958). Carolyn earned her master’s degree from Ball State University (1966) and her Ph.D. from Michigan State University specializing in children’s literature (1971). Carolyn received the alumnus of the year award from The King’s College in 1983. As she graduated from college, Carolyn claimed Psalm 37:5 as her life verse: “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” 

Early Career in Loudoun County, Virginia
Carolyn loved nothing more than to introduce Jesus to others. After graduating from The King’s College, Carolyn began serving in Loudoun County, Virginia, traveling to 16 public schools each week teaching Bible.  During this teaching opportunity, she enjoyed the privilege of living with Lenora Wood, who nurtured Carolyn’s spirit and career. Carolyn also developed a strong relationship with Mrs. Wood’s daughter, Catherine Marshall, bestselling author of the novel Christy, based upon her mother’s life, which became a TV series. These two women influenced the trajectory of Carolyn’s life and their deep friendship continued for years.

Marriage and Graduate Work
During summer school breaks, Carolyn served Word of Life Inn as the Social Activities Director. In 1962, Jack met Carolyn when he stayed at the Inn with his mother and sister after Jack’s father’s passing. Jack and Carolyn’s courtship began and continued through letter writing and Jack’s flights in his single engine plane to visit Carolyn in Virginia.  

On June 15, 1963, Jack and Carolyn were married in New York City while Carolyn continued her elementary teaching career. In 1965, Carolyn became a mother to their first daughter, Elizabeth, and received her master’s degree from Ball State University. Jack and Carolyn then moved to Michigan where Carolyn began a Ph.D. program in children’s literature at Michigan State University. 

Three weeks after Carolyn completed her Ph.D. in 1971, the Carmichaels moved to Berkeley Heights, New Jersey where they purchased a home and welcomed their second daughter, Kimberly. She was appointed to the faculty of Kean College (now Kean University).
 

Professorship and ministry at Kean University
Carolyn served as a professor for almost 40 years. She taught at the undergraduate and graduate level. Seeing a need, Carolyn established a program for high school graduates who needed reading assistance to prepare for college-level coursework. Carolyn directed multiple graduate seminars in children and adolescent literature. 

Carolyn always had a Bible on her desk and was available to any student who wished to speak with her about her faith. Carolyn shared hundreds of Bibles and tracts throughout her 40-year tenure at Kean, as she pointed others to Jesus.  Carolyn was the faculty advisor to Intervarsity Christian Fellowship at Kean, opening the Carmichaels’ home for fun, food, and fellowship.

Carolyn’s career included taking students on study abroad programs, and a sabbatical at World Impact in Newark, New Jersey to collaborate with teachers to improve their methods of teaching students to read.

National work for children’s literature 
Carolyn’s work was influential locally, regionally, and nationally. She served as a consultant to both Scholastic Publishers and the Dell Publishing Company. Carolyn was named to the National Council of Teachers of English Committee for pre-school children and edited Literature and Young Children (1977). She organized conferences on children’s and adolescent literature, and enjoyed friendships with brilliant authors including Maurice Sendak, Judy Blume, Rosemary Wells, and S. E. Hinton. Carolyn was an active speaker on children’s literature and gender bias in public school. Additionally, she served on a key committee with the goal of revising the national policy to ensure that natural disasters are named after both women and men, rather than exclusively after women.

Mentorship and Ministry Support
In addition to her academic career, Carolyn founded Success Seminars, an organization to support Christian women in their careers and personal lives. She often served as a life coach and mentor and was an encouragement to all those she met. Carolyn was also a valued member on the Board of Trustees at Biblical Theological Seminary for 17 years and a charter board member of Fellowship Village for seven years. She loved people and her eagerness to share her faith fueled her engagement with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, Navigators, and the Jesus Film Project. Carolyn’s global interest included her role organizing a women’s tour of Israel to trace Jesus’s steps. 

Ocean Grove, New Jersey 
The family spent many summers at Ocean Grove, New Jersey, and would often share their cozy and welcoming cottage by the ocean with missionaries who needed respite. Carolyn’s generous spirit was also evident in the ways she and Jack faithfully supported dozens of missionaries and evangelistic Christian organizations for decades. Carolyn loved giving gifts and was a cheerful giver. Carolyn was an avid quilter and belonged to the American Quilter Society. She presented nationally on her research “The Past Quilt Patterns as a Form of Communication During the Underground Railroad.” For several years she organized a quilt sale to benefit the ministry in Ocean Grove, New Jersey, a.k.a. God’s Square Mile.

Willow Valley, Pennsylvania
Carolyn loved to play games, plan parties, and entertain guests at home. Her warm personality and caring nature blessed her and Jack with many meaningful friendships after they retired in 2009 and moved to Willow Valley Communities in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She was a member of Grace Community Church in Willow Street.

Family legacy
Carolyn is survived by her husband, John (Jack) Carmichael; daughter, Elizabeth Strong (John); daughter, Kimberly Thornbury (Kent Oldenburger); and grandchildren, Martha Scott Burton, Schyler Strong, William Stewart Burton, Elizabeth Campbell Burton, Katherine Elizabeth Thornbury, and Carolyn Taylor Thornbury. She was a devoted and active mother and grandmother throughout her life. Carolyn’s family would like to express sincere and heartfelt gratitude for the many ways friends have invested in her life. 

In lieu of flowers Memorial gifts in honor of Carolyn Carmichael may be made to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for the Urbana student missions conference or a charity of the donor’s choosing.

InterVarsity Christian Fellowship P.O. Box 7895 Madison, WI 53707-7895