Emily Joy Carmen

On Saturday morning, September 27, 2025, God whispered "Emily, come home". In obedience to His Voice, her spirit and soul departed its earthly vessel and ascended through the heavens back to her heavenly Father, who waited to welcome her home.

Emily was married to the late Danny Carmen of Bayboro, North Carolina. Having no biological children of her own, she shared her aunt Olivia's children as her own; Arlisha Johnson of Brookline, MA, Jimmie Johnson (Bonnie) of Mansfield, MA, Roylene Hunte (Alan Sr.) of Brookline MA, and she shared Olivia's grandchildren; Joshua Siler of Brookline, MA, Alan Hunte Jr. (Jenn) of Billerica, MA, Matthew Johnson (Gina) of Plainville, MA, Kyle Hunte (Brynn) of Granger, Indiana, Chad Hunte of Brookline, MA, Olivia Johnson and Victoria Johnson of Mansfield, MA, and she shared the great-grands; Dougie, Mason, Maxximus and Jaxon,

Emily was born on December 13, 1937, at the family home in Blounts Creek, NC. She was the second child of Floyd Taylor and Maggie Johnson Taylor. Maggie subsequently married George Washington Garolds, and Emily was the second of eleven children born to Maggie. She grew up in the close-knit neighborhood of Blounts Creek with a large family and many friends. She accepted Christ at an early age and joined her grandmother's church, Phoenix Chapel of Edwards, NC. She graduated from S.W. Snowden school in Aurora, NC.

Emily moved to Boston, MA in her early twenties, joining her cousin Lendora & family. She took roots and made Massachusetts her home. It is where she married and made many life-long friends. Here she worked in the health care system at Beth Israel Hospital, where she served as Laundry Supervisor for more than forty-two years. She retired from this post in 2013 at the age of 75. Prior to her retirement, the department was renamed for Emily and there is a plaque at the department entrance today bearing her name.

Emily joined the Concord Baptist Church of Boston where she served faithfully in the missionary ministry for many years. She devoted over thirty-five years to supporting low-income single-parent families. She served on the Board of Directors of Single Parent Family Outreach, Inc for 32 years.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Maggie Garolds and Floyd Taylor, and her siblings Rosa Lee Oden, Shirley Taylor, Mildred Smith, Ernestine Jones and George Garolds; her beloved niece Antoinette (Sheba) Credle and nephews, Dee and Lee Taylor.

She is survived by three sisters, Evion Garner of Blounts Creek, NC, Doris Humphrey of Durham, NC, Annie Lois Garolds of Greensboro, NC, one sister-in-law, Dollie Garolds (the late George Garolds) of Chicago, IL: two brothers, James Garolds (Rebecca) of Ernul, NC and Robert Garolds (Wanza) of New Bern, NC. One aunt, who she cherished dearly, Olivia Stanback of Brookline, MA and her children and grandchildren and great grands (the children of her heart); a host of nieces and nephews, with a special affection for those she knew best, her sister Rosa Lee's children (Derrell, Van, Juicy and Rob) and her sister Mildred's sons, Barry and Mark; a host of cousins and special friends and closest friends Ken Terrell and Mary Brown.

Visitation at the Bell-O'Dea Funeral Home, 376 Washington St., Brookline, will be held on Wednesday October 8th from 5-7 PM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited.

For those who wish to send flowers for Emily's services on Saturday October 11, please have them sent to Congleton Funeral Home, 3205 E. 10th St, Greenville, NC 27858 (252)-355-9995

Acknowledgements

We thank everyone for your prayers, visits, your phone calls, your letters and cards of sympathy, your floral expressions, messages of hope and your presence.

A very special thanks to Jack Oden, Derrell and Van for your love and acts of kindness. To Evion, Doris, Robert (Pap), Annie Lois for your assistance.

Sleep dear Emily, take your rest. We love you so much, but God loves you best.

Your Family