Carole Millar McGowan

Carole McGowan passed away peacefully, leaving behind a legacy of selfless devotion, warmth, and lifelong joy shared with her family.

Carole was born on June 24, 1938, in Merchantville, New Jersey, to the late James Andrew Millar, Sr. and Selma Weber Millar. Carole attended Centenary College for Women, where she met a number of her life-long friends. After graduating from Centenary in 1958, she moved to Philadelphia to work and begin the next chapter of her life.

Carole spent every summer at the beach. As a teenager, she appeared many times on the cover of Ocean City's Weekly Guide and served as head hostess at her family's summer hotel, The Hotel Raleigh. It was on that very Ocean City beach where she met her future husband, Clarence A. “Otto” McGowan, Jr., who was then an Ocean City lifeguard and a Wharton School undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania. Following a prolonged courtship, they were married in 1963 and settled in Rittenhouse Square, later moving to the Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia.

Together, Carole and Clarence raised four children and built a vibrant social life filled with travel, dinner parties, club dances, Philadelphia Orchestra performances, Penn football tailgates, and several of the annual Philadelphia balls. Life with her husband was a wonderful whirlwind of activity. It was not uncommon for Carole to host twenty-four guests for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter Dinner, only to have her family packed up the next day to head off on ski trips or warm retreats in Hilton Head, Marina Key, or Ocean Reef. Carole brought back that same energy and generously to her community. She served on the Auxiliary Board of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia including organizing Daisy Day. She also volunteered in the Library and College Counseling Office at Chestnut Hill Academy (now SCH) where she also served on the Board of Trustees in the early 1980s. She was an active member of the Philadelphia Cricket Club. An avid gardener and an accomplished cook, Carole especially enjoyed gourmet cooking with a close group of friends.

Above all, Carole was a natural caregiver and nurturer, always thinking of others first. She was happiest when she could be of use, caring for those she loved. Later in life, she devotedly took responsibility for the care and comfort of both her own parents, aunt, and her mother-in-law, visiting them daily to see to their well-being.

Her true calling, however, blossomed when she became a grandmother. Asking to be called "Mammy", which the children lovingly shortened to "Mam", she poured her heart and unconditional love into all ten grandchildren. Her ultimate happy place remained the beach, surrounded by her grandchildren and an endless array of buckets, shovels, rafts, and surfboards. She remained at the shore religiously from Memorial Day to Labor Day; if anyone ever dared to schedule a wedding or event during those months, her classic refrain was always, “Don’t they know that we are at the beach?”

Carole was preceded in death by her loving husband, Clarence A. McGowan, Jr., her beloved parents, James Andrew Millar, Sr. and Selma Weber Millar; her brother, James Andrew Millar, Jr; her nephew James “Jimmy” Millar; and her Aunt and Uncle, Hila and Walter Hamilton. She is survived by her four children: Christopher M. McGowan (Kimberly), Daniel L. McGowan (Jillian), Mary M. Heins (Gregory), and C. Andrew McGowan. She is also survived by her ten cherished grandchildren: Kate, Lily, Jack, Nicholas, Caroline, Oliver, Saylor, Riley, Katie, and James; her sister-in-law, Lois Millar; and her devoted nieces and nephews: Debbie Rolfe, Kathy Stone, Sally Stout , Pam Stickles, and Jeffrey Millar.

Service Details: A Funeral Mass will be held on Thursday, October 8, at 10:30 AM at Our Mother of Consolation Church, 9 E. Chestnut Hill Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19118. Visitation 9:30am at the Church.

In lieu of flowers, please honor Carole’s memory by performing a random act of kindness for someone in need.