Carolyn "Carrie" Gaffey

Carolyn "Carrie" Gaffey, of Deerfield, Ill., passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Aug. 13, 2023, after a long battle with cancer. Carrie was born to John and Helen (O'Meara) Gaffey on May 22, 1960, in Marengo, Iowa. She is one of a few that attended a one-room schoolhouse for her kindergarten year. After graduating from Washington High School in 1978, Carrie continued her education at the University of Eastern Kentucky and Denver University, earning a degree in Finance. Carrie worked in the finance field for many years, the most recent years as a Regulatory Compliance Manager for a large bank. Carrie enjoyed gardening and took great pride in her beautiful flowers. She also had a lifelong love for the mountains and Colorado. Family and friends were most important to Carrie, she lived by the mantra "Make new friends but keep the old." Carrie had many lifelong friends from all the places she lived and worked throughout her life. Her greatest joy was her nieces Rachel and Maddy and her nephews Jack, Zach, Daniel, Liam and her great-nephew Mack. Carrie is survived by her mother Helen; sisters Pam Masterson, Mary Pat Gaffey, Cindy (Garry) Feldman and Jolene (Michael) Smyth; and her nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her father, John; sister, Christy; brother, Mick; and brother-in-law Paul Masterson. Funeral Mass will be held 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at St. Mary Catholic Church, Williamsburg. Visitation will be 10 am until service time on Saturday at the church. Burial will be in St. Michael's Cemetery, Holbrook. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to WINGS (wingsprogram.com/donate) or St. Jude's (stjude.org/donate). Powell Funeral Home is caring for Carrie and her family. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com.