Laurie Carr, the wife of former Michigan Wolverines head coach Lloyd Carr, passed away on Tuesday following a battle with cancer. She was 70 years old.
A memorial service will be held at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor on June 2 at 11 a.m. for family and friends. The family has requested that masks be worn for those attending the church. A recording of the service will be made available for those unable to attend, per the obituary released on Friday.
The family is asking that donations be made to the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation or Arbor Hospice instead of Flowers. ChadTough was created to raise money for DIPG, a rare form of pediatric brain cancer that took the life of Lloyd and Laurie’s grandson Chad Carr at a young age.
Carr was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1950 before growing up in the Downriver community of Riverview. She also worked as a teacher in the Wyandotte school district. The Carrs had moved to South Carolina but moved back to Ann Arbor in 2020 after Laurie’s cancer diagnosis to get treatment at U-M’s hospital.
Here is the full obituary courtesy of U-M Athletics:
Laurie Kathleen Carr
October 19, 1950 - May 25, 2021
Laurie Kathleen Carr, loving wife, mother, and grandmother left to be with the Lord on May 25, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer. She was 70 years old.
Laurie was born on October 19, 1950, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the daughter of Harry and Betty Smith. She grew up in Riverview, Michigan, where she graduated high school in 1968. Soon after, she and her first husband started a family and had three boys. She took great pride in raising them and being involved in their activities. She never missed one of their sporting events and was their biggest fan. During this time, Laurie went back to school, earned a teaching degree, and then taught chemistry for Wyandotte Public Schools.
In 1994, she married Lloyd Carr, and the couple resided in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She retired from teaching and supported Lloyd in his college coaching career. Intensely private, Laurie stayed behind the scenes and tried to avoid the spotlight. Given a choice, she’d rather be sitting on the couch working on The New York Times crossword puzzle than attending a public event. After Lloyd’s retirement from coaching, the couple traveled frequently and enjoyed attending their grandchildren’s many events. She loved to talk about her grandkids’ achievements. The couple moved to Greenville, South Carolina, in 2019 and enjoyed all that the vibrant city had to offer. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2020, the couple moved back to Ann Arbor so that Laurie could receive her treatment at the University of Michigan Hospital.
Laurie was a kind, generous, and thoughtful person. She served as an Honorary Chair for the United Way of Washtenaw County, as well as Honorary Co-Chair for construction of the new Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital with her husband, Lloyd. She was on the board of the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor and was a passionate supporter of the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation. She also quietly made donations to several other charities. She was always looking to help others. Laurie was extremely intelligent and enjoyed learning new things.
Though she was quiet and reserved in public, privately she had a quick wit and a wonderful smile. If she didn’t care for something that was said, you might get her famous “roll of the eyes” followed by a sarcastic response. Those who knew her well understood it was a response wrapped in love and reserved for those she cared for and loved deeply. Laurie was caring, considerate, and always put others first. She didn’t always say a lot, but when she did it meant something. To know Laurie was to love her.
Laurie is survived by her husband of 26 years, Lloyd; her three children, Brett (Jenni) McCartney, Ryan (Stacey) McCartney, and Jarrett McCartney; her stepchildren, Melissa Carr, Jason (Tammi) Carr, and Emily (Andy) Vigo; 11 grandchildren; and their dogs, Parker and Savannah. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harry and Betty; her brother, Kenny; and her grandson, Chad Carr.
A memorial service will be held in her honor at 11:00 am on June 2nd for family and friends at the First Congregational Church of Ann Arbor. The family requests that masks be worn at the church. The service will be recorded to be shared later with those who are unable to attend.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations be made to the ChadTough Defeat DIPG Foundation (www.chadtough.org) or Arbor Hospice (www.arborhospice.org).