Carol Pope Silk

Carol Pope Silk of Lexington, Va., passed away on Saturday, April 24, 2010, at Stonewall Jackson Hospital. A former resident of Wilton, Conn., and Wilmington, Del., she was the daughter of the late George Edwin and Dorothy Travis Pope. Mr. Pope was a noted architect of the former Wilmington firm of Pope, Kruse, and McCune. Carol was educated at P.S. DuPont High School in Wilmington and the University of Delaware. She continued her education throughout her life. She was an accomplished artist, excelling in oils, icons, theorems, needlepoint, reverse paintings on glass, and folk art. An intrepid traveler, she resided in Vienna, Austria, for a number of years. Throughout her life she was an honored volunteer and contributor for many organizations. Among them were Hospice, R.E. Lee Church, The Stonewall Jackson House, The Civil War Round Table, English Speaking Union, local garden clubs, Wilton and Lexington Historical Societies, Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities, Lexington Country Club, and The American Decorative Arts Guild. Her accomplishments were frequently recognized on a local and state-wide basis. Her life long ambition was to make the lives of those less fortunate to be the best they could be. Her guiding quote was "I set out to find a friend but couldn't find one I set out to be a friend and friends were everywhere." Her pride and love for her family knew no bounds. She is survived by her husband, Thomas Silk, of Lexington, Va.; son Stephen E. Silk and wife, Katherine Emery, of Farmington, Conn.; daughter, Melissa Whitten, of Eden, N.C.; brother, John E. Pope and wife, Jane, of Greensboro, N.C.; sister, Frances O'Sullivan and husband, Warren, of Wilmington, Del.; a grandson, David Silk, of Farmington, Conn.; a granddaughter, Jessica Whitten, of High Point, N.C.; one niece; and four nephews. An earlier, private family service will be followed by an open celebration of Carol's life to be held 4 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, 2010, at R.E. Lee Memorial Episcopal Church in Lexington, Va., with the Rev. Tom Crittenden officiating. A reception will follow the services in the R.E. Lee Parish Hall. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to honor Carol consider a contribution to the Rockbridge Area Hospice in Lexington, Va. Arrangements by Harrison Funeral Home & Crematory, Lexington, Va.