Ruth L. Carawan

Ruth Mildred Lorang Carawan

June 19, 1920 - January 27, 2017

Fuquay-Varina

Fuquay-Varina - Ruth Carawan passed away surrounded by loved ones.

She was born in Providence, Rhode Island to the late, Charles J. and Paulina Nilsson Lorang, both from Stockholm, Sweden. Also preceded in death by sisters, Florence Gendenning and Helen Adler, brother John Lorang and in 2006 her husband.

Ruth graduated from Central High School. While bookkeeper at Adler's Photography, she met husband Cleveland Eugene Carawan, a US Navy Chief Petty Officer, whom she married in 1947. Locating in Greenville, NC, they established Carawan Distributing Company, raised their four children, and became charter members of St. James United Methodist Church. Ruth later pursued classes at Pitt Technical School and completed a course in Fortran computer programming at East Carolina University. In 1970 she managed the Eastern North Carolina Office for the US Census. Her interests included the theatre, classical music, reading, crewel embroidery and travel. She and Gene traveled throughout the US and Canada for years in a motorhome.

Ruth is survived by son, Roy Carawan, PhD. of Cary, NC, and wife, Deborah; grandson, Russell of Dallas, TX; granddaughter, Ashley White of Holly Springs, NC; daughters, Beverly Carawan, of Hallandale, FL; and Mary Ellen Eley of Falmouth, ME, and husband, Peter; grandson, Judson of Toronto, Ontario; granddaughter, Sarah Felton and husband, David of Arlington,VA; grandson, Spencer of South Lake Tahoe, CA; son, Jeffrey Carawan, and wife, Christy; granddaughters, Katherine, all of Hartsville, SC, and Elizabeth Abrams, and husband, Brad of Columbia, SC.

The family thanks Windsor Point of Fuquay-Varina for nine years of care and Pruitt Hospice and Pruitt Health Raleigh for providing comfort in her final days. The family suggest that memorials be made to the Alzheimer's Association, email: info@alz.org, in lieu of floral tributes.

A memorial service is planned for Saturday, February 11, 2017 at 11:00 AM at Windsor Point. Inurnment at the Florence National Cemetery in SC at a later date.

Arrangements by Thomas Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at thomasfuneral.com