Caroline Utt

On Tuesday, February 25, 2025, Caroline Rogers Lane Utt passed away at the age of 91.

Carol was born on February 3, 1934 in Frederick, Maryland to Charles Seth Lane III and Susan May Gambrill Lane.

Raised in Frederick, Maryland, Carol attended public schools in Frederick, graduating from Frederick High School in 1951. Carol attended Stratford College in Danville, Virginia where she was student body President and received the Top Student award during in her second year. After Stratford, Carol graduated with a BA degree, with a major in British Literature, from Barnard College at Columbia University in New York City in 1955.

Returning to Frederick, Carol taught second grade in the Frederick County school system.

During her college years Carol met her future husband, William Ernest Utt, who was stationed at Fort Detrick as a member of the Chemical Corps.

On February 11, 1956, Carol married Bill at All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick. Their marriage spanned over 63 years until Bill’s death in 2019. Together they raised four sons, who to Carol’s chagrin all become engineers. Carol and Bill lived all but 5 of their 63 years together in Frederick.

Carol enjoyed being a wife, mother and grandmother. She was a spectacular homemaker, supporting her husband and raising four sons. She loved to knit, entertain, host family gatherings, garden, play tennis and make clothes for herself and her sons as well as creating beautiful home decorations. On many nights one could find Carol making her Singer sewing machine literally sing!

Carol was an amazing cook and her family always looked forward to her wonderful holiday treats including sand tarts, Maryland Beaten Biscuits, one-of-a-kind pies and recreating the Gambrill family egg nog recipe; many of these treats she made with her grandchildren.

Dealing for many years with a husband, four sons and a string of male dogs, Carol was the glue that held the family together. She was great at nurturing her sons, bringing out the best in each of them. Her seemingly tireless efforts made each holiday, birthday or any other special event created many special memories for her husband Bill, her sons and her extended family.

Carol was at her best welcoming her daughters-in-law into the family which greatly increased the “women’s perspective” in discussions around the dinner table. She also adored each of her eleven grandchildren; playing games (Scrabble and Old Maid were family favorites), singing with them, hosting family Easter Egg hunts, cooking their favorite meals (her grilled cheese sandwiches were second to none), and allowing her grandchildren to use her AOL account to play Nintendo. Carol’s affinity for all things British led several of her grandchildren to refer to her as “Her Royal Highness”. Carol had the innate ability to make each grandchild think they were her absolute favorite!

When not otherwise consumed with her family, Carol was a longtime member of All Saints Episcopal Church and the Garden Club of Frederick. She had faith in her heart and made it a point in her life to help others. She was also involved in her sons’ educations as well, which included starting a preschool French language program at Farmland Elementary School in Rockville, Maryland and also serving as a tutor and teacher’s aide at Parkway Elementary School in Frederick.

Carol was predeceased by her parents, her husband Bill, her brother Charles Gambrill Lane, and her sisters Elizabeth Lane Radcliffe and Antoinette Lane Barnard and three brothers in law.

Carol is survived by her sister Susan May Lane McCardell of Hagerstown, Maryland; her sister-in-law Shirley May Utt of Frederick, Maryland, and her four sons and their wives; William Phillips Utt and his wife Carolyn Spann Utt of Houston, Texas; James Gambrill Utt of Bethesda, Maryland; Alexander Lane Utt and his wife Lisha Norris Utt of Frederick, Maryland; and Paul Winebrener Utt and his wife Anne Attridge Utt of Raleigh, North Carolina.

Carol is also survived by her 11 grandchildren: William W. Utt and his wife Annie, John C.S. Utt and his wife Becca, Grace Linden Page Utt, James G. Utt, Jr. and his wife Courtney, David M. Utt and his wife Jiyeon Kang, Robert P. Utt, Alexander L. Utt, Jr. and his wife Taylor, Thomas W. Utt, Mary Gordon Utt, Caroline Lane Utt and Paul W. Utt, Jr.

Carol is finally survived by one great grandchild; Fields Gambrill Utt.

A Celebration on Life service will be held at All Saints Episcopal Church in Frederick, Maryland at 11:00 AM on Saturday, March 29, 2025. A reception will follow the service. Carol will be interred at Mount Olivet Cemetery next to her husband Bill.

The entire Utt family was very blessed and so fortunate to have had Carol in our lives. We are all the better for having known her and being part of her life. Carol was a woman who personified a unique blend of grace, kindness and sense of humor. She will be sorely missed by her family….