Mary Caroline Lane

Mrs. Mary Caroline Lane of Mt. Pleasant, S.C. was born July 26, 1921 and died on December 13, 2021 at the age of 100. She lived a long, happy life as a Christian and we are confident she is now in the arms of her Lord and Savior.

Mrs. Lane was born in Everett, Washington State and was the daughter of the late Carl and Delta Stahlberg and sister of the late Alma Delta Henderson, of Longview, Washington State.

From an early age, Mary Caroline on piano, and her sister Alma on violin, excelled not only in music, but also in ballet. It was this love of dance and music that Mary Carolina carried throughout her life. In addition, she inherited her dad's talent as an artist in watercolors and oils. She was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of Washington and was a member of Pi Beta Phi Sorority. It was in Seattle of 1947 that she met a handsome Navy Skipper, Tom Lane. A native Charlottean, he was bringing his ship for decommissioning following the war. Lt. Commander Tom Lane had served at D-Day Omaha Beach and then moved to the Pacific theater. Tom's Southern manners won Mary Caroline over and they were married in Longview on September 14, 1947. Their honeymoon was a drive across the United States to Chapel Hill, N.C. for Tom to attend law school. Following graduation, they settled in Charlotte, N.C. and were married sixty years before Tom passed away in 2007. Mary Caroline eventually sold her home in Charlotte in 2017 and moved to Franke at Seaside in Mt. Pleasant. At Franke she was lovingly cared for by an amazing staff.

Mary Caroline was a homemaker and raised three children. Every spare moment was filled with her creative nature, and there was plenty of that! Each one of these brings a smile: piano playing, ballroom dancing, singing, painting, ceramics, gardening, entertaining, lunching with her girlfriends, reading, scrapbooking, bridge, tennis at Olde Providence Racquet Club, exercise class with Suzi, beach combing the Isle of Palms, her Pekingese dogs, and especially traveling. She visited so many places all over the world and reminisced about those travels through her gift of painting. In Charlotte she was a Past President of the Legal Auxiliary, and was active in volunteer programs at Myers Park Presbyterian Church where she was a member of long-standing.

She is survived by a large loving family of 3 children and their spouses, 8 grandchildren, and 19 great grandchildren. The children are: daughter Mrs. Carol Dawson (Al) of Isle of Palms, S.C. and their children Dr. Catherine Tobin (Terry) and their children Lilly and Tripp; Mr. Alfred Dawson (Amy) and their children Mindy, Bentley, Ashton, Connor; Mrs. Caroline Rivera (Nick) and their children Nicholas and Anna Lane; and Dr. Melody Whitaker (Andrew) and their children Ada and Alex. Son Mr. Tom Lane (Jane) of Riverside, Illinois, and their children Mr. Alex Lane (Andrea) and their sons Calvin and Samuel; and Mr. Kevin Lane (Heather) and their sons Carter, Everett and Owen. Daughter Mrs. Katie Price (Tim) of Winston Salem, N.C. and their children Mrs. Christine Horton (Matt) and their children Rose, Ruby and Russell; and Mrs. Carey Carrasquillo (Che) and their son Price. We have great memories of several trips Mary Caroline orchestrated for her large family.

Services to celebrate her life will be private in Mt. Pleasant, with a later interment at the Columbarium of Myers Park Presbyterian Church in Charlotte. Memorials may be made to the Employee Appreciation Fund at Franke at Seaside, 1885 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 29464 or to Myers Park Presbyterian Church, 2501 Oxford Place, Charlotte, N.C. 28207. The family is especially grateful to the staff of Franke at Seaside and Lutheran Hospice for their devotion, care, and kindness.

Messages of sympathy may be viewed or submitted online at www.mcalister-smith.com.

Arrangements have been entrusted to McAlister-Smith Funeral Home, 1520 Rifle Range Road, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464, (843) 884-3833.