Carol Virginia Freeman Braby passed away February 18th, 2025, in Eustis, Florida, surrounded by the love of family and friends near and far. She was 92 years old.

Carol leaves behind her loving husband of nearly 72 years, Thomas Richard Braby; children, Janice (Steve) Lotz and Joe (Mary) Braby; grandchildren, Alexander Thomas Lotz and Carol Jeane (Max) Lotz Diego; sisters, Alice Freeman and Nancy (Mike) Barnett; and many more extended family and friends.

The eldest of Frank Leslie and Mildred Sophronia Freeman's five children, Carol was born in Independence, MO, to the sound of Christmas carols. As she passed into eternal rest this week, her family sang hymns to carry her back home.

A lifelong music lover, Carol was a founding member of the Houston Youth Symphony in 1943. She graduated from Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri, in 1950. At Graceland University in Lamoni, Iowa, she met the love of her life, Thomas Richard "Dick" Braby. They married on June 21, 1953.

Throughout Dick's career in the US Navy, Carol studied journalism at Ohio University and the University of Missouri Columbia. When the couple moved to Hawaii, Carol enrolled at the University of Hawaii and in 1956, earned her BA in Asian and Polynesian History and American Social Thought. In 1957, their first child, Janice, was born in Wahiawa, Hawaii. In 1959, she gave birth to Joseph in Glen Cove, New York. The family soon moved back to Hawaii for another Navy stint.

When Dick's career took the family to Orlando, they settled in Maitland, Florida, and Carol became a leader within the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council. This was not long after Martin Luther King Jr. declared the Girl Scouts "a force for desegregation." Carol began publishing resources for the Girl Scouts of America, including The Pluralism Handbook, which explores race relationships and is used throughout the country. Carol's efforts led the council to create the Carol Braby Award, granted to members who have raised "awareness of the gifts inherent in racial, cultural and socioeconomic diversity; facilitating the development of common human values while respecting the differences of others."

Carol was a co-founder of the Second Harvest Food Bank, of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida and became its third president. She successfully worked with such major businesses as Walt Disney World to donate unused food to those in need. Carol also served in many ministerial roles in the Community of Christ.

When Dick retired in the 1980's, the couple purchased a mountain home just outside Franklin, North Carolina. For three happy decades, it became a gathering place for family, friends from all over the world, and Appalachian Trail hikers. Carol built her dream office there in the Blue Ridge Mountain treetops. She continued to study family history, plugging away at a historical novel about Sarah Bowen, her Irish ancestor who immigrated to America in the nineteenth century.

During these retirement years, the couple traveled to Jerusalem, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, and more because of Carol's work with ViewPax Mondiale. Carol also organized frequent trips to the United Kingdom to research a book on Garrow's legal career, which was published at the same time as the release of the BBC series Garrow's Law.

Carol and Dick began gradually moving to Mount Dora, Florida, in 2008 for easier access to medical care. When Carol moved into a skilled nursing facility in 2020, Dick continued to visit her every afternoon. The family hung a giant photo of their wedding day, as well as pictures of her family and Dick could point out to their faces and remind Carol of the love that filled their lives.

During their time, Carol gave final approval of the last draft of her story about Sarah Bowen. Her daughter, Janice, and her sister, Nancy had her book published, The Black Pearls, (Sea-Hill Press). Just last year, they organized a book launch party at her Solaris Healthcare Waterman nursing facility, where the author chatted with readers, and pen in hand, signed her books: Carol Freeman Braby.