Carol Newman Jefferson, 85, of South Charleston, WV, passed away on October 22, 2024.

She is survived by her husband of 63 years, Roger; son, Brad (Rebecca Stafford); daughter, Laura Jefferson Anitori of Powell, OH; granddaughters, Sara Anitori and Mary Anitori, both of Columbus; and grandson, Adam Jefferson of Huntington, WV.  She is also survived by special friends: Becky Bannon of Myrtle Beach, Judy May Hayes of Huntington, Mary Townson and Vicki Pendell, both of Charleston.

Carol was born on October 5, 1939 in Huntington, WV, the only child of Pearley and Marie Clay Newman.  She grew up in Wayne, WV, and was a 1957 graduate of Wayne High School.  Carol and her childhood best friend, Becky Skaggs Bannon, remained lifelong friends/sisters.  Becky and her sons, Dean and Brad II, are family to the Jeffersons.  Carol’s father passed away in 1958 and her mother Marie remained a strong influence on Carol and her family’s lives until her passing in 1998.

Carol was a proud graduate of Marshall University, where she was a Journalism major, graduating in the first class of the newly renamed Marshall University.  She married Roger Jefferson in 1961 and moved to the Charleston area in 1964.  Carol sacrificed her career to raise her children, and she was a great mother.  She did begin working in the late 1970’s, and managed a doctor’s office and worked with a law firm for a time, before finally retiring from Columbia Gas.

Carol very much enjoyed her time with her grandchildren; Sara, Mary and Adam.  They all had a special and unique relationship with her.  She also enjoyed spending time with friends and had many locally, including Mary and Moe Townson, Vicki and Butch Pendell, and Barbara Lockhart.  She had a special friendship with her next-door neighbor from Fitzwater Drive, Edith Hoffman, who passed in 1998.  Carol also had a special group of friends who celebrated their friendship with yearly Royal Weekend trips to the Smoky Mountains.  These friends included Becky Bannon, the late Gail Perry, and the late Mary Withum.

A service to honor the life of Carol will be held on Sunday, October 27, 2024 at 4 pm at Snodgrass Funeral Home in South Charleston, with Reverend Jim Plyburn officiating.  Visitation for family and friends will precede the service beginning at 2:30 pm.

Burial will be at 1:30 pm on Monday, October 28, 2024, at Spring Hill Cemetery in Huntington.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests contributions be made to Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley, Faith in Action – River Cities, or to the Charleston Hospice House.

The family also wishes to thank the Charleston Hubbard House and Hospice nurse Jo Bailey, whose attention and patience with Carol was greatly appreciated.  Thanks also to Shawn Walls for all her help to the family over the last few months, Joe and Debbie Armstrong, who have been such good neighbors to Carol and Roger and have helped out in many ways, and to Carol’s grandson, Adam, who spent many days with his grandparents helping in all kinds of ways.

Carol’s friends, Becky Bannon and Judy May Hayes, wished to express their sentiments, which follow:

“My world, and the world of many, will not be the same without Carol. Although she was a few years older (she hated for me to say that), her friendship can never be matched.  She was the sister I never had.” – Becky Bannon

“I will remember you. I will remember the laughter and the tears. I will remember my freshman year at Marshall, hiding in your closet behind the shoeboxes at Laidley Hall.  Because neither of us had a dollar to pay the guest fee. I remember double dating in Roger’s Merrimack and Ralph’s Mayflower. We each had our families and lived good lives. We travelled together and attended Marshall games together since 1959. I loved your family and you loved mine.  We were always able to laugh, even when it really wasn’t funny.  I am going to miss our good times.  I love you my dear friend. I will remember you always. And I’ll see you on the other side.” – Judy May Hayes

Memories of Carol may be shared by visiting http://snodgrassfuneral.com and selecting the obituary. Snodgrass Funeral Home, South Charleston, is handling the arrangements.