Carolyn Collier Ware

Carolyn Collier Ware, 89, died peacefully on September 9, 2024 surrounded by her family. Born on March 27, 1935, she was the daughter of the late Blanton and Mary Forman Collier.
She graduated from Paris High School in 1953 and the University of Kentucky in 1958 where she was a member of the Chi Omega Fraternity. She worked in the Alumni Office at Transylvania University where she met her husband Sam. A lifelong sports fan, she rarely missed a UK basketball game or Cleveland Brown’s football game. After raising her family in Ashland, Kentucky, she was the curator of the antique clothing collection at the Kentucky Highlands Museum and volunteered with Friends of the Children.
Most recently, she was the archivist for Christ Church Cathedral in Lexington where she was also a member of Daughters of the King and served on the Vestry. The ultimate Episcopal church lady, she was a member of the Episcopal Diocese of Lexington Women’s Board, served as Diocesan President of the Episcopal Church Women, co-chaired the Nominating Committee to select the 6th Bishop of Lexington, was a member of Commission on Ministry and a deputy to General Convention of the Episcopal Church.
She is survived by her children, Susan Ware, Mary Blanton Ware and Stephen Ware of Lexington, her sister Kay Collier McLaughlin of Carlisle, her nieces, nephew, great-nieces and great-nephews and her grand-dogs Jessie, Grace, Hope and Maggie, all of Lexington. She was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Sam Ware and her sister Jane Collier Hansen.
A special thank you for the excellent care she received from her wonderful caregivers at Always Best Care and the hospice and palliative care teams of Bluegrass Care Navigators.
Services will be at 4:00PM on Saturday, September 14, 2024 at Christ Church Cathedral, 166 Market Street, Lexington with Interment and Reception to follow at the church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial gifts be made to Christ Church Cathedral (166 Market St., Lexington, KY 40507), Transylvania University (300 North Broadway, Lexington, KY), the Cathedral Domain (c/o The Episcopal Diocese of Lexington, P.O. Box 610, Lexington, KY 40588) or Bluegrass Hospice Care (1733 Harrodsburg Road, Lexington, KY 40504).