Carolyn Boineau Josey Benton went to be with her Lord on Friday, June 3, 2016.

Your Mother is always with you. She’s the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street. She’s the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick-the fragrance of life itself. Your Mother is the cool hand on your brow when you’re not feeling well. She is your breath in the air on a cold winter’s day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep. She is the colors of a rainbow. She is Christmas morning.

Your Mother lives inside your laughter, and she is crystallized in your every tear drop. She’s the place you came from, your first home, and she’s the map you follow with every step you take. She’s your first love, and your first friend. Nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space…..not even death!

Born February 5, 1927 in Orangeburg, South Carolina, she was the daughter of Margaret Caroline Boineau Josey and Hubert Laurie Josey. She attended Columbia College which was originally called Columbia Female College. Hence, when she met her husband, he nicknamed it “The Hen House”. She was married to the late Joseph Benton for 40 years until his death in 1986.

Carolyn was a sweet and reserved lady with a charming manner. She had a great love for song, dance and laughter, and we will cherish the memories of her earlier years, as she harmonized with her church trio. She will also, without a doubt, be remembered for her sense of fashion and impeccable style.

She was the beloved Mother of three children, Margaret Almeida (E.M. Almeida, III (Butch), Kathy Benton Heilman, Joseph David Benton (Patricia C. Benton).

She was the Grandmother to five grandchildren, Caroline A. Couture (Alex), Joseph D. Benton, Jr. (Julie), Justin H. Benton (Rachel), S. Kenneth Varnadoe (Cindy), and G. Vaughan Mangum (Emily). Carolyn is also survived by nine great-grandchildren; her brother, Hubert L. Josey, Jr. (Berta), and her lifelong and dearest friend, Annie Grimes of Charleston, South Carolina who was like a second Mother to her children.

Thank you Mama, Nanny, Carolyn, and “Girlfriend” (as she was called by all of her granddaughter’s friends) for the everlasting love, joy, and fun you brought to our lives. You have left us with amazing memories.

Special thanks to Gina Bennett for her love, devotion, friendship, and special care. May God Bless You!

A private celebration of her life will be held in Charleston, South Carolina.


Richmond Hill Funeral Home