Carol Elizabeth Olsen Neylan's Obituary
Carol Elizabeth Olsen Neylan, 71, passed away December 21, 2022.
Having spent her final month with those she loved the most, her children and grandchildren, Carol peacefully enjoyed her last sunset December 21, 2022. Carol was born August 2, 1951 in Danville, PA to the late Richard Carl and Mary Vera Olsen. Carol attended Lower Moreland High School in Huntingdon Valley, PA and Wesley College. While at Wesley she met the love of her life Robert Francis Neylan to whom she was married for 51 years until his passing in June 2022. Carol worked for the US Department of Justice for over 20 years. Carol’s biggest source of joy was raising her three daughters. She took pride in making their clothes when they were young having the most fun creating their Halloween costumes. Later she spent time knitting hats for NICU babies while commuting to DC. Decorating for any and all holidays was a creative endeavor that sometimes required “borrowing” branches from a neighbor’s magnolia tree. During the past month, Carol spent time ensuring every daughter’s home was properly decked for Christmas. Her love of gardening and flowers brought her great joy especially when she hand-crafted each of her daughters’ wedding bouquets. Carol took pride teaching her daughters and grandchildren her recipes, especially constructing elaborate beach birthday cakes, Lulu paste and lemon meringue pies. No matter the time of day, Carol always had her make-up and jewelry on wherever she was. Carol’s greatest love was always being around water at her family’s lake house, then later in life with her family at the beach.
Carol is survived by her daughters Jennifer Brennan (Terence Jr.) of Marietta, GA., Lauren Scherer (Nicholas) of Marietta, GA., and Susan Dreher (Paul Jr. ) of Mountain Brook, AL.; grandchildren Jordan, Terence III, Elizabeth, William, and Natalie; sisters Jane Leonard (Colin) and Joan Guiney (Bill); and several nieces, nephews, and in-laws.
A memorial service will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Robert F. Neylan Memorial Fund benefiting the Dover High School Track & Field program. Email [email protected] for more information. Letters of condolences may be sent to http://www.traderfh.com
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