Carolyn was born May 23, 1941, in Niagara Falls, Ontario and passed away, Monday, June 7, 2021, in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario.
Carolyn was the eldest of three children, born to William Hogg and Mona MacPherson. As the daughter of a professional engineer and a teacher, she was raised in many locations, throughout Ontario, before her family finally settled in Sault Ste. Marie in 1957. She was a graduate of Sault Collegiate High School, Neuchatel Junior College in Switzerland and the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario.
Carolyn served many roles in her life including friend, mother, wife, sister, teacher, writer, volunteer, community advocate and crafter. Many remember her from one of her first jobs, as a weather reporter, on the local CJIC television station. Carolyn worked for over 20 years in community development, within the urban Aboriginal community, at the Indian Friendship Centre. In her role there, she helped found a number of organizations such as Neech-ke-wehn Homes, a nonprofit urban Native housing program. She was also an original member of the aboriginal education committee, a local ad hoc group with representation from various indigenous groups and First Nations, which worked to address various education issues within the aboriginal community. This committee's work led to the creation of aboriginal counselor positions at Algoma University and the eventual creation of the native nursing assistant program at Sault College. She was also a longtime professor at Algoma University. She served on numerous boards including Pauline's Place and was one of the founding members of the Friends of Lake Superior Provincial Park where she also served for over twenty years.
Carolyn's greatest delights in life were family, community, animals and nature. She had an appreciation for the preservation of Ojibwe language and culture as well as her own Scottish family history. She could converse on a wide range of topics and she was also a compassionate listener. She loved flowers and, for her, dandelions were as precious as roses. She loved raspberry picking on sunny roads and watching storms on Lake Superior. She relished snowstorms and treated a tiny blueberry delivered in a sweaty, little hand as a gem. Carolyn loved to knit and weave and she was a fluid and natural pianist, often playing Scottish ballads and church favorites such as "Going Home" in the evening. Carolyn raised and cared for many animal companions throughout her life. She delighted in gatherings that included a chaotic mix of children and elders, dogs and precariously balanced plates, piled high, with delicious food. Carolyn truly enjoyed life, in all its varied complexity and diversity, and, despite many years of progressively debilitating illness, she was uncomplaining.
She is survived by her husband Brian Mealey and they were devoted partners in life and play for forty years. She is also survived by her children Kip (Lisa) and Tim, her dear friend and sister Ellie Kuntz (Mike) and her brother Bill Hogg (Juli) from Calgary. She found great joy in her cherished friend Tom Kakapshe, her nieces Emily, Maureen and Carrie, nephew Will, stepchildren Jane, Jennifer and John, and their families, as well as her dear dogs Tookenay and Annie. Carolyn lived her life as part of many communities and had many special friends and dear relatives that she remained in close contact with.
A celebration of life will be held later this summer when Covid-related health restrictions are relaxed. In lieu of flowers, anyone wishing to do so may send donations to Pauline's Place, a shelter that provides emergency short term housing for youth, women, and families who are experiencing a housing crisis at 235 Wellington Street, Sault Ste Marie, Ontario P6A 1H6 or online at https://www.paulinesplacessm.org/support-us. The family would like to thank her home health care workers for their excellent care as well as the nurses and doctors at the Sault Area Hospital. Arrangements entrusted to the Arthur Funeral Home - Barton & Kiteley Chapel (492 Wellington St. East 705-759-2522). Please visit www.arthurfuneralhome.com to leave a message of condolence as a keepsake for the family.
Going Home
Going home, going home,
I'm just going home.
Quiet-like, slip away-
I'll be going home.
It's not far, just close by;
Jesus is the Door;
Work all done, laid aside,
Fear and grief no more.
Friends are there, waiting now.
He is waiting, too.
See His smile! See His hand!
He will lead me through.
Morning Star lights the way;
Restless dream all done;
Shadows gone, break of day,
Life has just begun.
Every tear wiped away,
Pain and sickness gone;
Wide awake there with Him!
Peace goes on and on!
Going home, going home,
I'll be going home.
See the Light! See the Sun!
I'm just going home.