Carolyn was raised in a large and loving family in Knoxville, Tennessee, the second of four daughters born to Dwight and Bernice McDonald; she is preceded in death by her beloved sister Barbara who died in 1976. She married and had four children with her first husband, D. Edward (Eddie) McMillan. After raising her four children, she began a second career in typesetting and layout design at Knoxville Printers and Publishers. She also met and married for a second time the love of her life, Gerald Edgar “Nick” Nichols. Carolyn and Nick later started a publishing company – Tenpenny (take two Nichols and you can have ten pennies) – with Carolyn serving as President. She was one of only a few women publishers in the area at the time; one of the books she published was Carson Brewer’s book, A Wonderment of Mountains: The Great Smokies.
At heart she was an artist with an artist’s view of the world around her. She discovered her talents as an artist after having children. She took art lessons in Knoxville and began painting in watercolors. She also took music theory and composition classes at the University of Tennessee and wrote several musical compositions, including a fun ditty called “Climax No. 2” about a No. 2 pencil, and her all-time favorite – “Softly I Whisper Your Name” – a song she always envisioned the late great Andy Williams singing!
Nick introduced her to all kinds of adventures, including scuba diving in the Florida Keys, the Caribbean, and Central America (Belize) – Carolyn was an expert swimmer and champion diver – and, when their business closed, a move to California. In California, she took economics classes at California State University and turned her artistic talents to sculpting; one of her (Tennessee) marble sculptures took first place at the Modesto Art Show. She also illustrated a children’s book, The Adventures of Stu McMulligan - Voyage to the Planet Chad, that Nick wrote for the grandchildren, whom he made the main characters in the story. All in all, she created many beautiful artworks, sculptures and music that her children, grandchildren and friends will cherish forever.
Carolyn loved to travel and was a voracious reader, well versed in history, politics and current events. She was strong in her convictions and wanted all of us to see the world from different points of view. She was also the fun Mom who would take the neighborhood kids on car rides to “scary” places in Knoxville around Halloween; and she was the fun grandmom (Mama C) who would read bedtime stories to her grandchildren in funny voices, and would jump in the pool with the kids and play games 47 times in a row.
She’d be the first to admit she hated to cook, and loved to eat out at her favorite restaurants, especially after her move to Naples. But she was happiest when having a simple dinner at home (usually cooked by Nick!), filled with family, friends and laughter. After Nick’s passing in 1999, she moved to Naples, Florida, where she continued to sculpt and became active in the Unitarian Universalist Congregation. She also volunteered at The Nature Conservancy, joined the Naples Council on World Affairs – Great Decisions, and was a Friend of the Public Library, the Arts Council of Bonita Springs. Carolyn moved to an assisted living facility in 2014 – TV, computer and cell phone in tow – where she enjoyed having someone else cook for her again and especially loved getting a mocha frappuccino from Starbucks when family came to visit!
Carolyn leaves behind a wide circle of friends and her loving family, including her four children, Susan McMillan Smillie (of Fairfax, VA), Dwight McMillan, Pat McMillan (both of Atlanta, GA), Bob McMillan (of Turlock, CA); step-son Jack Nichols (of Chandler, AZ); sisters Susan Overton and Nancy Jean Newbold (both of Knoxville); and eight grandchildren (Daniel Smillie, Christina Smillie Joyner, Carolyn Smillie, Tyler McMillan, Ryan McMillan, Lauren McMillan, Jonathan McMillan and Victor Nichols). She will now join Nick, who passed away in 1999, and was her inspiration and biggest fan. She will be sadly missed but all are relieved her suffering has ended. We love and will miss you Mom/Mama C.
Services will be private. The family requests that any donations made in her honor go to the Huntington’s Disease Society of America at https://hdsa.org/get-involved/tribute-memorial-donations/
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