Carolyn Dare, age 86, passed from this life on Thursday, November 16, 2023, to be home with Jesus, the Lord she loved with every ounce of her being. She was born to parents Carlton and Kathryn Keen on May 22, 1937 in Salem, NJ and grew up in Quinton. She later met and married Samuel Dare, living the rest of her life in Monroeville, NJ.

 

Always a welcoming blend of brightness and bluntness to everyone who knew her, she deeply loved her family and was an active part of their lives. She was predeceased by her husband Samuel Dare, siblings Betty Bieszcz, Joyce Locuson, & Carlton Keen, sister-in-law Virginia Schneeman as well as brothers-in-law Larry Schneeman & Tom Peraino. She is survived by sisters-in-law Doris Peraino & Thelma Keen as well as brother-in-law Lynn Locuson, children Dennis (Nancy) Dare & Kathy (Greg) Parks, grandchildren Brian (Kayla) Dare, Beth (Andrew) Khair, Rachel Parks, Bruce (Danielle) Dare, & Samuel (Leah) Parks, and great-grandchildren Ava, Zachary, Emily, Hudson, Rylee, Nathaniel, Natalie, Savannah, Samuel, Gabriella, Ryan, & Brody.

 

Carolyn worked at First National Bank of Elmer for years, but of more importance to her was her membership at First Baptist Church of Elmer. She had served on the missions committee and loved teaching the JOY class there, even until the Sunday previous to her death. She prayed for hours every day for her family and church, and conversation with her did not go long before she spoke of the Bible, which she loved to hear and study. She was an avid reader in general and loved music, especially hymns. Having volunteered in her retirement years at the Ranch Hope thrift shop, she continued to live a full life, whether it was enjoying day trips to Lancaster, PA or her Thursday dinner club friends. Her smile and spunk will be sorely missed.

 

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, November 25th at 11 am at the First Baptist Church of Elmer, 209 Broad Street, Elmer, with the family receiving visitors beginning at 10 am. Interment will be at Friendship Methodist Cemetery in Monroeville. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Source of Light Ministries International (www.sourcelight.org). Funeral arrangements are under the direction of H.T. Layton Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Woodstown (www.htlayton.com).  Please visit their website to leave a note of condolence to her family.