Mrs. Charlotte P Carrell

Charlotte Peterson Carrell died suddenly Saturday, August 6, 2016 at the University of Virginia Medical Center. She was born May 20, 1938 in Memphis, Tennessee, to Robert and Dorothy Peterson. She graduated from Central High School in 1956 where she was a member of the National Honor Society and the president of First Volunteer Bank (the first Junior Achievement Company formed in the state of Tennessee. She won the title of “Miss City Beautiful” in Memphis in 1956 and represented the Memphis Rotary Club as the “Lady in Waiting” in the 1957 Cotton Carnival. She attended Southwestern at Memphis (now Rhodes College) and was a member of the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority. She married Finis Dixon Carrell on October 5, 1957 and together they raised three children: Cathy, Betsy, and Jeanne in Memphis, Pensacola, Key West, and Virginia Beach before settling in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1970. Charlotte was president of the Welcome Wagon in Charlottesville (1972) and was ordained as an Elder at Meadows Presbyterian Church (1978) where she was also sang in the choir for many years. She became a realtor with Real Estate III in 1980 and very much enjoyed helping families find the home of their dreams. She earned awards for sales excellence in real estate eight times during her career. Charlotte and Finis enjoyed travelling and went on many cruises and international trips; perhaps even more memorable were the countless road trips for reunions in Memphis and to attend every band recital, play, and graduation of their five grandchildren. Charlotte’s many passions included playing in her bridge club and competing in tournaments, in which she earned the distinction of Life Master in 1998 from the American Contract Bridge League. She loved her church family at Meadows, gardening in abundance, attending productions at Heritage Theater, celebrating family at dinner parties, reading and puzzles, and cuddling with her canine pal, Charley. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Finis of Charlottesville, and her sisters, Dorothy Peterson Banker of Tampa, FL and Jean Peterson Lesesne of Chapel Hill, NC. She leaves three daughters, Catherine Carrell Teague and her husband Joe and daughter Rachel of Bloomington, IL; Elizabeth Carrell Hanson and her husband Rolf of Parker, TX and their son Zachary of Richmond, VA; and Jeanne Carrell Buschor and her husband Marty of Bloomington, IL and their three daughters, Amanda of Baton Rouge, LA, and Monica and Celia of Bloomington, IL. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Meadows Presbyterian Church, St. Jude Children’s Hospital, or a worthy charity of the donors’ choice. The family will observe a private viewing. The celebration of life is scheduled for 10 o’clock the morning of Friday, August 12, 2016 at Meadows Presbyterian Church 2200 Angus Road, Charlottesville, Virginia, followed by a reception in the main dining room at the Farmington Country Club.