Carolyn Mclean Cumming Seals

Carolyn McLean Cumming Seals of Lynchburg, VA, formerly of Edenton, NC, Yorktown, VA and Hampton, VA, died on Friday, December 10, a day shy of her 85th birthday.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her loving husband of 67 years, Kenneth Alfred Seals, her mother, Mattie May Topping Hume, her father, William McLean Cumming, and her stepmother, Georgianna Sinclair Cumming.

Carolyn was born on December 11, 1936, and raised in Hampton, Virginia. She attended Hampton High School, where she was a varsity cheerleader and met the love of her life, Ken Seals.

Carolyn was a child of God, Ken’s devoted wife, loving mom to four children, Kathy, Tom, Martha, and Bob and doting Grandma to her 14 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. As such, Carolyn was busy from sunup until sundown most of her 84 years. She was seamstress extraordinaire who pieced together patterns to craft prom dresses, Halloween costumes, and christening gowns. She was a lifelong outdoorswoman, in her element be it camping, building a fire, fishing, canoeing, shooting archery, cooking up Chesapeake Bay bluefish, gardening, birdwatching, floating in the Chowan River with friends and family, or hosting family annually at a mountain cabin.

For 17 years, Carolyn provided in-home before- and after-school childcare, showing all of the children she cared for her motherly love.

Carolyn was a Girl Scout leader, York High School Booster, perennial room mom, and the loudest sideline, cowbell-ringing cheerleader at both her son’s high school football games and at her husband’s Senior games. The truth is, Carolyn loved all sports: She swam, walked, hiked, rode her bicycle, competed in archery and in NC Senior Games. Her TV was always playing an athletic competition; however, she had a special place in her heart for football and the Washington Football Team–with a side of roasted peanuts.

Carolyn loved traveling to see family and, as she and Ken did regularly, to enjoy a Tom Jones or Boots Randolph show in Myrtle Beach. Since she was a little girl, her favorite escape was inside a good book. In fact, every morning Carolyn awoke before everyone else to read THE Good Book, reading the bible cover to cover for as long as her children can remember. Carolyn also loved music—her husband’s sax playing and show tunes most of all—and often danced around the kitchen as she cooked up her trademark fudge, pumpkin pie, buttermilk biscuits, raisin nut bread or her handmade chocolate Easter eggs. She was a puzzle queen and a crossword diva!

Carolyn was a loving friend and sister-in-Christ to many.

In her lifetime, Carolyn, a convert to Catholicism, was an engaged, devoted member of three Roman Catholic churches: Saint Joan of Arc in Yorktown, VA; St. Anne’s in Edenton NC (serving as usher, lector, greeter, and counter) and, most recently, at St. Thomas More in Lynchburg, VA.

Carolyn is survived by her and Ken’s four children and their partners: Kathy Seals (Oakley Drumheller), Tom Seals (Lisa), Martha Rombach (Mike), and Bob Seals (Angie Brandt); 14 grandchildren: Scott Drumheller, Crystal Seals Murphy (Tyson), Kenneth Seals (Christina Saenz), Devin Drumheller (fiancé, Kara Trowell), Daron Drumheller Hewitt (Ryan), Shelby Rombach (fiancé, Michael Abel), Thomas Seals (Mimi), Cullen Rombach (fiancé, Sarah Sheridan), Bryan Rombach, Cady Rombach, Porter Seals, Sean Rombach, Wyatt Seals and Scarlett Seals; and five great-grandchildren: Katherine, Madeline, and Elizabeth Murphy, Everett Seals, and unborn Baby Seals (due in June).

She is also survived by her older sister, Grace Cumming Long, her younger sisters, Frances Cumming Klovstad and Molly Cumming, and her brother, Will Cumming.

Join us at the Mass of the Resurrection 12 noon on Friday, December 17 at St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, 3015 Roundelay Road, Lynchburg, VA. Visitation with the family will begin at 11:00 am. After Mass, there will be a reception in More Hall; please join us! If are unable to attend, please watch the livestream on the St. Thomas More Lynchburg Facebook page

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations to St. Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, especially More Aid, Food Pantry, Diaper Program or Respect Life Ministry; Catholic Relief Services; or Cross Catholic Outreach. Carolyn loved supporting those in need through these ministries and the annual Giving Tree, the holiday gift-giving mission that brought Carolyn boundless joy. In the last days of Carolyn’s life, her greatest concern was that she should have done more and her greatest legacy was that she did what our Lord called her to do!

Tharp Funeral Home & Crematory, Lynchburg, is assisting the family.  To send condolences, please visit obituaries.tharpfuneralhome.com.