Laurie Kathleen Carr
October 19, 1950 – May 25, 2021
Laurie Kathleen Carr, loving wife, mother, and
grandmother, left to be with the Lord on May 25, 2021,
after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 70 years
old.
Laurie was born on October 19, 1950, in Kalamazoo,
Michigan, the daughter of Harry and Betty Smith. She
grew up in Riverview, Michigan, where she graduated
high school in 1968. Soon after, she and her first husband
started a family and had three boys. She took great pride
in raising them and being involved in their activities. She
never missed one of their sporting events and was their
biggest fan. During this time, Laurie went back to school,
earned a teaching degree, and then taught chemistry for
Wyandotte Public Schools.
In 1994, she married Lloyd Carr, and the couple resided
in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She retired from teaching and
supported Lloyd in his college coaching career. Intensely
private, Laurie stayed behind the scenes and tried to avoid
the spotlight. Given a choice, she’d rather be sitting on the
couch working on The New York Times crossword puzzle
than attending a public event. After Lloyd’s retirement
from coaching, the couple traveled frequently and enjoyed
attending their grandchildren’s many events. She loved to
talk about her grandkids’ achievements. The couple
moved to Greenville, South Carolina, in 2019 and enjoyed
all that the vibrant city had to offer. After being diagnosed
with cancer in 2020, the couple moved back to Ann Arbor
so that Laurie could receive her treatment at the
University of Michigan Hospital.
Laurie was a kind, generous, and thoughtful person. She
served as an Honorary Chair for the United Way of
Washtenaw County, as well as Honorary Co-Chair for
construction of the new Mott Children’s Hospital and Von
Voigtlander Women’s Hospital with her husband, Lloyd.
She was on the board of the First Congregational Church
of Ann Arbor and was a passionate supporter of the
ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. She also quietly
made donations to several other charities. She was always
looking to help others. Laurie was extremely intelligent
and enjoyed learning new things.
Though she was quiet and reserved in public, privately
she had a quick wit and a wonderful smile. If she didn’t
care for something that was said, you might get her
famous “roll of the eyes” followed by a sarcastic
response. Those who knew her well understood it was a
response wrapped in love and reserved for those she cared
for and loved deeply. Laurie was caring, considerate, and
always put others first. She didn’t always say a lot, but
when she did it meant something. To know Laurie was to
love her.
Laurie is survived by her husband of 26 years, Lloyd; her
three children, Brett (Jenni) McCartney, Ryan (Stacey)
McCartney, and Jarrett McCartney; her stepchildren,
Melissa Carr, Jason (Tammi) Carr, and Emily (Andy)
Vigo; 11 grandchildren; and their dogs, Parker and
Savannah. She was preceded in death by her parents,
Harry and Betty; her brother, Kenny; and her grandson,
Chad Carr.
A memorial service will be held in her honor at 11:00am
on June 2nd for family and friends at the First
Congregational Church of Ann Arbor. The family
requests that masks be worn at the church. The service
will be recorded to be shared later with those who are
unable to attend.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made
to the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation
(www.chadtough.org) or Arbor Hospice
(www.arborhospice.org).
