Carolyn Lane

Carolyn L. Lane was a special woman – devoted to her family and friends. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, who gave selflessly to enrich the lives of those around her. With a gift for gab, Carolyn was always eager to share her time and energy with others, especially her family.

The year was 1930 and America was in peril. The gilded age of the 1920s had melted away into a sour oppressive era known as the Great Depression. The fires of the Industrial Revolution had consumed all of the fuel and merely finding food to eat challenged many Americans. Despite these trying times, life for John and Louise Loose of Detroit, Michigan, was filled with great happiness at the arrival of their daughter, Carolyn, born on February 23, 1930.

Carolyn’s childhood was typical of the times. A dedicated student, she attended McFarland Elementary School and Mackenzie High School where she enjoyed being a member of the Latin and French club, student council and the National Honor Society. A bit of a social bug in school, Carolyn had many girlfriends who nicknamed her “Chicky.” After graduating high school in 1948, Carolyn attended Michigan State University earning a degree in Social Work in 1952.

Carolyn met her husband, Ray Lane, her freshman year in high school, however, they didn’t have their first date until their junior year. Carolyn often reminisced about their senior prom and how it was one of her favorite dates. With a chuckle, Ray recalled the first time he tried to get fresh with her and she stated, “OK Christopher Columbus, you have discovered enough for one night!” Soon their love blossomed for each other and they were married on February 20, 1954, in Detroit, Michigan. After a romantic honeymoon at Niagara Falls, the newlyweds returned home only to pack their things and move to Manhattan, Kansas, where Ray was stationed in the military. Once Ray was discharged, he and Carolyn moved quite a bit living in places like Cadillac, Michigan; Waterloo, Iowa; Saginaw, Michigan and eventually back to Detroit before settling in Farmington Hills for the last 17 years. It seemed with each move also brought a new addition to the Lane family. Their first son Greg was born in 1956 in Waterloo, Iowa, followed by daughter Deanne born in 1960 in Saginaw, Michigan, and then another son, Jeff born in 1967 in Royal Oak, Michigan, which completed their happy household.

Carolyn was the definition of motherhood. From driving her kids to all their sporting events and practices to after school activities, Carolyn’s passion was to support her family. With the “can do” attitude of a young woman who had grown up during the Great Depression, Carolyn proved to be a very able homemaker. She sewed a lot of the children’s clothes growing up. To this day, the family recalls her unique sense of style. Even as they grew older, she never thought twice about going out of her way to help someone in need of her. Holidays such as Christmas and Easter were her favorite time of year because she loved to be surrounded by the smiles and laughter of her family. When it came time for family vacation, Carolyn would painstakingly plan their itinerary by finding the most economical way to travel, but made sure to have fun every step of the way. Family was the cornerstone of Carolyn’s life, and she took great joy in her children and grandchildren throughout the years.

Besides caring for her family, Carolyn also found time for work and leisure activities. Although a full time housewife, she worked a short time for her son Greg’s law firm. A big Michigan State fan, Carolyn loved to tailgate at the Michigan/Michigan State football games. She and Ray were able to take some extensive vacations together to Europe, Japan, Russia, Scandinavia and Italy and to celebrate their 50th anniversary, they treated the family to a Caribbean cruise. Carolyn also found time to give back to her community volunteering with various charities and being active in her church. One of her greatest accomplishments was honored by Governor Milliken for her help in establishing the Michigan Art Train, which traveled through different towns displaying a variety of art pieces.

In her free time, Carolyn enjoyed hobbies, which included tennis, tending her garden of flowers, sketching, creative writing and ceramics. She enjoyed listening to music from Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond and Andrew Lloyd Weber. While some of her favorite foods were prime rib and mashed potatoes, she especially enjoyed baking, particularly cherry pie. Golfing was another of Carolyn’s favorite pursuits. On one memorable golf outing, Carolyn bravely rescued her golf cart from diving into the pond because the brake was not fully applied and it was quickly going down hill. This valiant effort got her an ovation from fellow golfers. Yet another great story was when Carolyn was invited for the first time to the prestigious Detroit Golf Club, a private course. An independent woman, Carolyn refused help from the attendant and proceeded to walk into the clubhouse donning her spiked shoes and clubs flung over her shoulder only to find out that those were big “no no’s” at the club. As a member of the Meadowbrook Country Club, she used her many talents to help organize the junior golf tournament. It was a very proud day for Carolyn when she proved she could handle 18 holes of golf at Meadowbrook.

A great admirer of his wife, Ray recalled his most memorable moment was when he saw his beloved Carolyn walking down the aisle on their wedding day. Her great personality (not to mention her good looking legs) was what drew him to her in the beginning, but it was her unconditional love and devotion to her family that he cherished to most.

Carolyn L. Lane died on May 19, 2004. She was preceded in death by her parents and sister, Doris (Bill) Schwartz. She is survived by her husband, Ray Lane, of 50 years; her children: Greg Lane, Deanne (Greg) Goodrich and Jeff (Illyse) Lane; her grandchildren: Alexandra Lane, Griffin Lane Goodrich, Connor Jeffrey Lane and Dylan Ray Lane; her brothers, John (Dorothy) Loose Jr. and Richard (Margaret) Loose; as well as many nieces, nephews and their children.

Visitation will be on Friday, May 21, from 5-9 p.m. and Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. until time of service at 11:30 a.m. at McCabe Funeral Home, 31950 West 12 Mile Road, Farmington Hills. Interment at Glen Eden Memorial Park. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Farmington Hills Senior Nutrition Program or Michigan Visiting Nurses Association. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you can read Carolyn’s life story, share a memory of her, sign the guest book or make a memorial contribution in her memory.

Carolyn was a loving wife, mother and grandmother, who enriched the lives of all those around her. She will be greatly missed.