Carolyn Hedley

Carolyn Prince Hedley, 91, of Fargo, ND, died Friday, June 8, 2012, at Rosewood on Broadway under the care of Hospice.

Carolyn was born in McWhorter, West Virginia, the oldest of five children. She was a home birth born to a warm and loving family. The valedictorian of her high school class, she was the first in her family to go to college thanks to a four year scholarship. As a chemistry major surrounded by male classmates, she graduated in three and half years after virtually all of her classmates went to war. During the next eight years, she rose in the ranks as a chemist for Union Carbide in Charleston, WV. Marrying at thirty (unusual in those days), she moved to New York with her husband James Miskin Hedley. Jim consistently gave Carolyn two gifts: expensive nylons and Femme Perfume by Rochas. Over the next four years, she had her three children, creating a busy and loving household. After her youngest became a teenager, she returned to work teaching. Always a math whiz, she worked with each of her three children teaching them short cuts in math that sometimes surprised their Catholic-school nuns. When the teachers asked her children for a parent to volunteer, the Hedley children quickly raised their hands without asking their mom and said, “My mom will do that" and she always did.

In 1975, Carolyn and Jim moved to the Philadelphia area when Jim’s company relocated from New York City. On June 8, 1983, exactly 29 years prior to Carolyn’s death, Jim died suddenly, leaving her in a house by herself. Jim left her many bottles of Femme Perfume, the last of which she will take with her when she joins him.

In 1989, Carolyn began a five year struggle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and against all odds, she beat it. Unfortunately between radiation to her eye and macular degeneration, she was left legally blind. Always an avid reader, she discovered the Books for the Blind from the Library of Congress, an awesome service she used until recently.

Carolyn was an avid traveler and traveled even after she lost her vision to all corners of world and she always knew the history of the location. In 2000, with failing health and the handicap of her vision, Carolyn moved to Fargo to be near one of her children. She grew to love her adopted city, making friends with her wonderful mail lady and man, the paratransit driver, and many of other people who came in contact with her. Never afraid to speak her opinion, she was always considered a hoot!

She fell a couple of times and eventually needed nursing home care. She resided in the loving home of Rosewood on Broadway for over four years. The staff has been part of her family. Even while at Rosewood, she always talked about and wanted to travel again.

Carolyn is survived by her three children, Gweneth (Russ) Wagnon of Tinton Falls, NJ, Gregory (Lyn) Hedley of Virginia Beach, VA, and Adele (Mike) Page of Fargo, ND; ten grandchildren, Brian Wagnon of Tinton Falls, Carissa Page of Washington DC , Michael (Caitlin Hall) Page of Washington DC, Jeffery (Kristyn) Hedley of Norfolk, VA, Kevin Wagnon of North East, MD, Lauren (Dustin Olson) Page of Portland, OR, Matthew Hedley of Virginia Beach, VA, Kimberly (Jeff) Lunardi of Henrico, VA, Scott Wagnon of Ann Arbor, MI, and Stephen Hedley of Virginia Beach, VA; one great granddaughter Lily Beth Evelyn Hedley and one soon-to-be-born great-granddaughter Claire Elizabeth Lunardi.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her parents Lester and Mamie Prince, her loving husband James, and her four siblings.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Hospice.

Funeral Services will be held on Wednesday, June 13 at 1:00pm at Hanson-Runsvold Funeral Home, Fargo.