Carolyn Lewis Kordt passed away on 29 Nov 2021 at a healthcare facility in Novi, MI, shortly before her 84th birthday. She was the fourth child and only daughter of Gilbert Hastings Lewis and Margaret Hevenor.

Carolyn was born outside of Chicago in La Grange IL in 1938. Her family moved briefly to OK, CA, and WA while her father served in Europe during WWII, but then returned to Illinois. She graduated with honors from Lyons Township High School in La Grange. As a teenager, she enjoyed playing flute and sailing on Lake Michigan with her father.

Carolyn was very active in the Presbyterian Church for most of her life. She met her future husband, Gary Ireland, through her church group when she was just 16. They attended Wooster College in Ohio, where they earned degrees in religion. They married in 1958 and moved to Boston after graduation. They had three sons together in Boston while Gary earned his Divinity Degree at Harvard. The family then relocated to Detroit, MI where Gary took a position as assistant pastor at St. John's Presbyterian Church.

After the couple separated in 1967, Carolyn earned a teaching certificate from Wayne State University. She taught elementary students at Clintondale Schools in Macomb County, MI for more than thirty years.

Carolyn married John Sollenberger in 1971. They had one son and remained married for more than 30 years. Their shared interests included improving conditions for working people, and staying fit through karate. After John suffered a debilitating heat stroke in 1988, Carolyn took care of him for years until she could no longer do so physically. They divorced in 2008 so he could qualify for the nursing care that he needed, but she continued to visit and care for him until his death in 2018.

Carolyn achieved her black belt rank in karate in 1986. She competed actively in senior ping pong tournaments after her retirement. She purchased a vacation cabin in Saugatuck MI, adjacent to the retirement homes of her twin brothers Win and Bill, where the extended family enjoyed many summer gatherings.

While John was ill, Carolyn became an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Clemens, MI. She sang in the choir there, and married David Kordt on 24 Oct 2009. They had met through their mutual church activities. Carolyn joined David in his Northville, MI home and became a member of St. Timothy Presbyterian Church in Livonia, MI.

Carolyn suffered a major stroke in Apr 2021 and never recovered. She was predeceased by her parents, her twin brothers Bill and Win, her former husband John, and her husband David.

Carolyn is survived by her oldest brother Bert, sons Kevin, Erik, Todd, and John, her sons' spouses, nine grandchildren, her sisters-in-law Nancy and Sue, her step-sister Sally, and many extended family members. She was a wonderful, caring person who loved her family deeply. Plans for a memorial service will be announced at a later date.

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