Carolyn Riley

Bakersville – On the evening of Sept. 27, 2024, just as Hurricane Helene was wreaking havoc on her beautiful mountain community, Carolyn Ann Riley, also known as the papermaker half of "the papermaker and the pilot," passed away due to respiratory failure. She was surrounded by family and listening to the music of her good friend, Terry McKinney, when she died in Alexandria, Virginia, at her daughter's home.
Carolyn was born in New Orleans, La., on Nov. 4, 1941. She spent her earliest months in Louisiana and Century, Florida with her mother, Madie Ree Robinson, and extended family on her maternal side (Archer Family). Eventually, her father's (William Robinson) work would take her family to Mexico. When Carolyn was old enough to begin school, William and Madie Ree felt that she needed to return to the states, so Carolyn was sent to live with her grandmother, Ma Archer, in Century. Carolyn's mother and now a little sister, Billie Robinson, would take the train from Mexico to visit and care for Carolyn, while her father continued his work in Mexico. From Mexico, the entire family moved together to California, where Carolyn's little brother, Robbie Robinson, was born.
William's work took the family to many places, including Texas, Hawaii, and eventually Brazil, where Carolyn graduated from high school. On the return trip to the states, Carolyn met Jack Riley of Williamsburg, Kentucky who was spending his junior year at sea while attending the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Long Island, New York. Carolyn's parents enrolled her in Florida Southern University, but after meeting Jack, Carolyn had other plans. Without consulting her parents, Carolyn dropped out of college and traveled to New York to be closer to Jack. When she arrived in New York, she lived at the YWCA, until she could get a job and save enough money to rent an apartment. Her parents were actually living in New York at the same time, but Carolyn was fiercely independent and would not ask for help. Carolyn and Jack became engaged and were married in Williamsburg, Kentucky on Nov. 24, 1962, after Jack had graduated from the Merchant Marine Academy. Jack's work took the newlyweds to Baltimore, Md., where Jack initially worked at a shipyard and then on a merchant ship, where he sailed around the world for four months. While Jack was at sea, Carolyn had to navigate living in a new city on her own, something her childhood moves had helped prepare her for. Attempting to fulfill a promise to herself and her parents, she enrolled in Catonsville Community College, with the hopes of eventually receiving her college degree. Meanwhile, the ship that Jack was on went bankrupt, and there were no more paychecks for food and rent, but Jack eventually arrived home with lots of treasures from his travels. Both Carolyn and Jack decided to enroll in University of Florida, where Carolyn's father had graduated from, Jack pursuing a graduate degree in engineering, and Carolyn still trying for her degree. While at the University of Florida, Jack was offered a job at the Charleston Naval Shipyard in the early stages of nuclear engineering. Carolyn remained in Florida long enough to finish the semester and then joined Jack in Charleston, S.C., where they spent the next 27 years. It was in Charleston where Carolyn and Jack's two children were born (Michelle and Patrick), and Carolyn finally began in earnest her dream of getting a fine arts degree. Carolyn enrolled in the College of Charleston and graduated magna cum laude with a double major of fine arts and art education, while caring for Michelle and Patrick and continuing to care for the home life she and Jack had created together.
Carolyn had always viewed the world with an artist's eye, but during her time in Charleston, she really learned how to translate that view to share with others. She created oil paintings, watercolor paintings, and prints that reflected the world she saw. Even as she was creating her own art, she worked hard at supporting the entire art community, through teaching - first in a standard school setting, and later as part of an artist-in-residence program and serving on various committees. She was instrumental in creating the crafts fair as part of the Piccolo Spoleto celebration in Charleston. During her time in Charleston, as she grew and experimented as an artist, she discovered her favorite medium was creating handmade paper. She began experimenting with papermaking, using a few blenders, boiled fibers, and even dryer lint on her back porch in Mt. Pleasant. These early experiments inspired her to learn more. She found a community of papermakers, while taking courses at Penland School of Craft in Bakersville. This group of women continued to encourage, teach, and learn from each other after the courses were over. After a brief move to Boulder, Colo., Carolyn and Jack decided to retire in Bakersville, where Carolyn found a vibrant arts community through Penland and the Toe River Arts Council. She continued to support other artists and future artists through teaching in the local schools and even teaching her own courses at Penland. Many children in western North Carolina came to know her as the papermaker lady. She also helped place other artists of all types in the schools in Western North Carolina, so that students had a chance to discover their own artistic voice. She was passionate about supporting the arts and artists, and truly believed an artist lives within us all. Her home in Bakersville represents a small art gallery, with pieces of work from friends and strangers. Carolyn had a harder time creating as she lost her vision owing to macular degeneration, but blindness could not silence her artistic voice - she continued to play, create, and encourage others to do the same, almost until she took her last breath. Her light will continue to shine through all who knew and loved her and those who were connected to her through her art. She will be remembered by family and friends as fiercely independent, compassionate, creative and loving.
She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Jack Riley; her sister, Billie Gibson (Al); her brother, Robbie Robinson (Paula); her daughter, Michelle Garden (Kevin); her son, Patrick Riley (Jayme Hattersley); her grandchildren, Andrew, Steven and Luke Garden (Kevin and Michelle); Rylea Gregory (Patrick and Jayme); her mountain grandchildren, Ben and Ana Jewel (Mark and Melisa); and many nieces and nephews who loved her, as well as countless friends who were family to her.
A celebration of life will take place at Jack and Carolyn's cabin by the pond, on Saturday, June 28 at 4 p.m. and a memorial service will take place at Spruce Pine Methodist Church, on Sunday, June 29 at 2 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to Toe River Arts Council, the Mitchell County SPCA, or the North Carolina Society for the Blind in Carolyn's memory.