Dr. Carol Lynne Powell

Dr. Carol Lynne Powell, aged 56, passed away on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  Dr. Powell, an avid walker, loved her adopted city of Lancaster and all the little neighborhoods and enclaves that she discovered on her many walks over the years.  She was preceded in death by her sister Yvonne V. Ross, and her mother and father, Eula and Curtis Powell.

Carol was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on November 4, 1965. She spent her formative years in Pemberton, New Jersey and graduated from Pemberton Township High School. She later earned her Bachelor of Science Degree from Drexel University in 1990. She received her M. Ed in Counseling Psychology from Temple University in 1994 and completed her Doctoral Program in Counseling Psychology at Lehigh University in 2002.

Carol was a tireless advocate for students, and she spent most of her professional life working on their behalf.  Her work in education as a guidance counselor led her to positions of leadership in Reading as the Director of Student Services and adjunct professor of Psychology at Albright College; to West York as Assistant Superintendent and to Columbia where she served a short stint as Superintendent before joining the School District of Lancaster as the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction in 2016. Her commitment to improving student outcomes through a focus on instructional delivery and developing engaging curricula was the driving force behind many of the initiatives in the district.  She was also an incredibly caring guide and mentor and her wit and wisdom have forever changed the lives of teachers, leaders, and students wherever she encountered them. Carol started out in radio – she was a WKDU DJ at Drexel University and later became an Account Executive at WPEN Radio.

In addition, she served on numerous Boards and Civic Organizations including the Lancaster YMCA, Hunger Free Lancaster County, the York Jewish Community Center, CHI St. Joseph’s Children’s Health, and the York County Gang Prevention Initiative, among others.

Carol was a consummate storyteller and she enjoyed NPR’s “Moth Radio Hour”.  She was known to sneak into Zoetropolis for a story slam or two. Her musical tastes were eclectic – she loved bluegrass, barbershop quartets and she had almost as much fun with the rhythms and rhymes of Wu-Tang Clan as she did with the Beastie Boys. Her only vice was ‘The Wire’ – she was perhaps the only person who knew the lines to almost every episode.  Carol loved photography and had dreams of creating her own line of greeting cards when she retired.

Her yearlong battle with Multiple Myeloma cut short those dreams; but we are forever grateful to have known her and to have been blessed by her kindness, her love of life and people, her innate wisdom and joy, as well as her fierce intellect and her unshakable moral compass. Carol was deeply spiritual and often lamented the fact that she wasn’t a member of a local congregation. However, on Sundays, her apartment was frequently filled with the sounds of praise music or a broadcasted sermon.

Carol will be remembered and missed by her sister Carla Powell, Pemberton NJ; her aunt Shirley Wills, Augusta, GA, her cousins Hilda (Burnis) Coleman, Graniteville, SC; Theodora Wills, Jacksonville, FL; Wesley Coleman, Southfield, MI; Jerome Shipman, Washington, DC; Vincent Jones, Pittsburgh, PA; and her ‘adopted son’ Karim Paris, New York, NY.  She is particularly missed by her beloved dog Stephan aka “Cheese” and her partner, Howard Hanson, along with a host of friends, colleagues, mentees, and admirers.

Relatives and friends are invited to attend a memorial service at First Presbyterian Church, 140 E. Orange Street, Lancaster PA 17602 at 1:00pm on Friday, January 14, 2022.   Parking instructions can be found by visiting:

http://www.fpclancasterpa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/parking-map-full_2021.pdf

.    To view the service virtually, please visit:

https://my.gather.app/remember/carol-powell

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Carol’s memory to the

Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation

or to the Dr. Carol L. Powell Scholarship Fund via the Lancaster Education Foundation. This scholarship will be awarded to aspiring educators graduating from McCaskey High School. Contributions can be made to the fund online at

LancasterEducation.com

or by check payable to “Lancaster Education Foundation.” Please write “Powell Scholarship” in the comment box or memo line. Checks should be sent to Sandi Mauer, LEF program manager, 445 N. Reservoir St., Lancaster PA 17602.