Carolyn Little, age 74 of Roopville, Georgia, passed away Thursday evening, June 27, 2019.  She was raised in the Smithfield community, near Bowdon by Hugh “Doss” Wilson and Nellie “Myrl” McGuire Wilson.  They attended and were very active in Mountain View Baptist Church.  She was a graduate of Bowdon High School and West Georgia College.  She was very smart and athletic and earned a scholarship for college.  She played the piano, as well as, playing basketball, volleyball, and soccer in high school and college. 

In 1964, she married Doyce Lee and they had two loving children, Terri and Kevin.  She started teaching and coaching at Central High School in January, 1966 and has made an impact on generations of the members of this community ever since. 

After 17 years in the classroom, she took a couple of years off for a brief political career.  She was always very active in the teacher organizations NEA (National Education Association) and GAE (Georgia Association of Educators) and was elected president of the state organization in 1983.  The following year, she was elected to the Georgia State House of Representatives.  She returned to teaching and earned her Master’s Degree in 1985, also at West Georgia.  Retiring from teaching, after 35 years, she continued to teach halftime at the alternative school for several years.  She also worked for Southwire helping students who were prospective employees pass the high school graduation test. 

She met and married Robbie Little in 1987.  They enjoyed collecting antiques, especially furniture, depression glass, and antique pottery.  They joyfully spent their Saturdays at yard sales and estate sales searching for treasures.  They were married 17 years before Robbie passed away.  A few years after Robbie passed, she started going to local bluegrass performances with her girlfriends, where she met James Watson.  James was a very talented clawhammer banjo player and is in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.  The two of them spent several wonderful years together as best friends and music lovers.  They traveled the Southeast going to Bluegrass festivals, where James was well known by the performers and the crowds.  Although James passed away in June, 2017, she continued to go to festivals with her girlfriends until last summer, when her health prevented the traveling. 

She lived a very active and full life.  She loved to entertain and had more friends than most, and did a great job of keeping up with those from her past, as well as, her current friends.  Recently, her graduating class from Bowdon had started getting together for lunch monthly, that’s how close they all were. She loved her travel buddies from the Circle of Friends and enjoyed their meetings, as well, as their outings. She looked forward to getting together with the retired teacher ladies from Central to talk and laugh about old times.  She attended Roopville Road Baptist Church, and loved the people, staff, preaching, singing, and the traveling. Most of all, she loved God and her family.  In the words of her daughter, “she was the smartest, strongest, bravest woman I’ve ever known.”  

In addition to her parents and her husband, she was preceded in death by her younger brother, Hugh Anthony “Tony” Wilson, and her son, Kevin Lee.  She is survived by her daughter, Terri Lee Saunders of St. Simons Island; daughter-in-law, Janet Lee of Columbia, Tennessee; grandson, Zachary Lee; brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Myong Wilson of Bowdon, Georgia; and sister-in-law, Joan Wilson and daughters, Cami, Joy, and Maria and their beautiful families.

A Celebration of Life Memorial Service will be held Monday, July 1, 2019 at 1:00 PM from Roopville Road Baptist Church with Dr. Steven Peeples officiating.  Music will be under the direction of Bryant Turner, with a selection of special bluegrass gospel. Members of the Circle of Friends, Bowdon High School Class of 1962, and Central High Retirees will be seated as honorary pallbearers. The family will receive friends at the church on Monday from 11:00 AM until the hour of service.  Inurnment will follow at Carroll Memory Gardens. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made Tanner Hospice Care. To donate online, visit www.tanner.org, click on donate, and select Tanner Hospice Care. Donations may also be mailed to Tanner Hospice Care, P. O. Box 1136, Carrollton, Georgia 30112.  Or, those desiring to do so, may make donations to the American Kidney Fund. To donate online, visit www.kidneyfund.org, click on donate. Donations may also be mailed to American Kidney Fund, 11921 Rockville Pike, Ste. 300, Rockville, Maryland 208542.                                                          

Messages of condolence may be sent to the family at www.martin-hightower.com.  Martin & Hightower Heritage Chapel has charge of the arrangements.