Caroline Louise Conley

1927 - 2023

Caroline Louise Conley
February 25, 2023
Olathe, Kansas - Caroline Louise Conley (Calise), 95, passed away on February 25, 2023. She was born to the late Louis and Caroline Chauvenet on April 14, 1927 at her beloved home, Tallwood, near Charlottesville, Virginia. She was one of six children and very close to her brothers and sisters who all preceded her in death. Calise remembered her upbringing in Charlottesville fondly. Her eyes lit up when recalling memories of horseback riding and scenes of the surrounding Blue Ridge Mountains. Calise and her sister, Adele, were among the first women to be allowed into the nearby University of Virginia. She joked it was easy for them to find dates, given there were about 60 women and 2,000 men. While there, she met and took classes from John Conley, a teaching assistant working on his Master's in French following time spent in France during WWII. They were engaged within a year. Chosen as the featured bride for Woodbury soap advertising, the ad quipped that John graded her "AA" (Always Adorable). The two were married in July of 1948 for 44 years until he preceded her in death in 1992.
As John's university jobs took them from Boston to Washington, D.C. to Milwaukee, WI, their family grew and she became a mother to John Conley (Port Townsend, WA), Jay Conley (Linda, Oconto Falls, WI), Claire Brand (Joe, Lenexa, KS) and Carolyn Wynne (Tom, Vancouver, WA). Her children, 10 grandchildren, and 14 great grandchildren, couldn't have asked for a more loving or caring mother/grandmother. She routinely went above and beyond to make the people in her life feel special. She was known for sewing, quilting or knitting special gifts for those she loved. She also took it upon herself to keep up with the latest technology, attending Apple computer classes into her eighties so she could communicate with her grandchildren and extended family across the miles. She was the ultimate family correspondent. After John's retirement, the two moved to St. Petersburg, FL where she took art classes and pursued her passion for painting. Upon his death, she traveled abroad with her art class, enjoying the combination of painting and visiting new places. Her love of art was apparent in all she did. She surrounded herself in color and found ways to make even the most mundane moments in life more creative or special. As she aged, she eventually moved to Kansas to be closer to family. Those who knew her will always remember her unfailing sense of humor and impeccable smile - a smile that always grew bigger when surrounded by those she loved. A small memorial mass will be held for close friends and family at Santa Marta retirement community, 13800 W. 116th St., Olathe, KS on Monday March 6 at 10:00 am in the independent living chapel. A graveside service will be held in her much-loved Charlottesville, VA at a future TBD date. In lieu of flowers, the family recommends donations to the University of Virginia or UVA Children's Hospital at https://giving.virginia.edu or Ronald McDonald House Tampa Bay at https://apps.rmhctampabay.org/donate-now