Carolyn Diane Holloway, age 85, of Alexandria, Virginia, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. She was the beloved daughter of the late Lee S. Holloway and Lois O. (Blevins) Holloway.

Carolyn will be remembered as a strong-willed, independent, intelligent, and creative woman who lived life with curiosity and purpose. She valued family, education, travel, craftsmanship, and service to others. Her life reflected both a deep sense of independence and a generous willingness to share her talents with those around her.

She is survived by her loving brother, Gary Holloway and her loving sister, Brenda Lazara; her nieces, Kim Foster, Danielle Farias, Cristina Lazara, and Stacy Lazara; her nephews, Kevin Holloway and Brian Holloway; her great-nieces, Elizabeth Foster, Emily Foster, Gabriella Galich, Alyssa Farias and Hailey Farias; and her great-nephews, Jaxson Holloway and Branden Morales Jr. In addition to her parents, Carolyn was preceded in death by her sister, Kay Holloway.

Carolyn was a 1959 graduate of Bel Air High School and continued her education with an Associate Degree in Fashion Merchandising from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business & Management (Accounting) from the University of Maryland.

Her professional path was as accomplished as it was varied. After graduating from high school, Carolyn began her career as a payroll clerk and clerk stenographer at Bata Shoe Company, later serving as a secretary at Aberdeen Proving Ground before leaving to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology. Following her studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology, she worked in the fashion industry as an Assistant Manager of Customer Relations for Koret of California and later as an Assistant Buyer and Department Manager for Hochschild, Kohn & Co.

In 1969, Carolyn made a career change that led her into accounting and financial analysis, serving with several government agencies and departments, including the Department of the Army, Department of Agriculture, Department of Justice, Department of State, and the Defense Logistics Agency. She retired from the U.S. Foreign Service, Department of State, in 2001.

Carolyn had a lifelong love of travel. Through both her professional and personal journeys, she visited scores of countries across six continents, experiencing the world with a spirit of independence and adventure.

She was also a gifted seamstress who enjoyed designing and making her own clothing and accessories. Her creativity was matched by her generosity, and she shared her sewing talents with others for many years as a volunteer at the Lincolnia Senior Center. There, she became a key member of the Dollmakers, a group that created more than 40,000 dolls for donation to local hospitals, and she also taught sewing classes to fellow seniors.

Carolyn’s life was marked by resilience, talent, service, and a quiet determination to live on her own terms. She leaves behind family and friends who will remember her creativity, independence, and the many ways she made the world around her more thoughtful, beautiful, and meaningful.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Carolyn’s memory to Rock Run Cemetery, Attn: Jason Gallion, 3747 Aldino Road, Aberdeen, MD 21001 or the American Heart Association (https://www.heart.org/en/).