Storke Funeral Home Obituaries

Carole Birmingham, 81, of Colonial Beach, VA, passed away peacefully on August 25, 2022, at home surrounded by her family.  She was born on December 26, 1940, in Bradford, PA. She was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew Maholic and Madeline Paige. Carole is survived by her beloved husband of 58 years, William; daughter Kelly Birmingham-Levie (her husband Thomas) and son Kent Birmingham; two grandsons, Andrew and Justin Warthen and one sibling, Patricia Wolcott.

A proud graduate of Bradford High School’s class of 1959. Carole worked for Rosen’s Furniture during High School. After graduation she worked for Zippo Manufacturing before getting married in 1963 and moving to Dahlgren, VA then King George, VA. She became a devoted mother and in 1972 moved to Colonial Beach, VA.  In 1975, she became the cafeteria manager for Colonial Beach Public Schools.  She loved the women she worked with and provided delicious meals to the students and staff forming numerous lifelong friendships with them. After leaving CBPS she worked as a manager/cashier at Hall’s Super Market.

After retiring, she volunteered at the Westmoreland Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center which led to her taking a full-time job with the physical therapy group.  She thoroughly enjoyed working with the staff there and made many wonderful friendships. Carole was a devoted and active member of Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church in Colonial Beach, VA.  She was an accomplished cook, and it gave her great pleasure to spoil the generations with her special recipes handed down through the family. She loved the Redskins, watching nearly every game on television and providing the best screams and shouts each time they did something good or bad. She was the matriarch of a loving family whom she taught to stick together through good times and bad and to value family traditions and hard work. 

Carole enjoyed TOPS and the people she met there for over 30 years.  She met many friends and had great outings  with the ladies of the Red Hat Society. She loved cruising over the years as well as many trips to Ireland, New Orleans, Key West, and Hatteras Island. 

In her later years, she became an avid gardener and loved to tend to her plants and flower beds. She was an expert puzzler and spent hours working on them in her favorite place – the sunroom. 

The family will receive visitors on, August 28, 2022, from 2-4pm and 6-8pm at the Storke Funeral Home, 131 3^rd Street, Colonial Beach, VA. A funeral service will be held on, August 29, 2022, at 11am at Saint Mary’s Episcopal Church with Father Nick Szobota officiating; 203 Dennison Street, Colonial Beach, VA. A luncheon will follow at Riverboat on the Potomac, 2^nd Floor, 301 Beach Terrace, Colonial Beach, VA.

In Lieu of flowers or tree planting, contributions should be made to the Carole Birmingham Scholarship Fund (please make checks payable to Colonial Beach Public Schools), Care of Colonial Beach High School, 100 First Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443 – Attention Judy Long or St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, 203 Dennison Street, Colonial Beach, VA 22443 – Attention Father Nick Szobota. 

A private family interment will be held at 11am on August 31, 2022, at Willow Dale Cemetery in Bradford, PA.