Carolyn Rose Skinner Hiers

Obituary For Carolyn Rose Skinner Hiers

It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Mrs. Carolyn Rose Skinner Hiers.

Carolyn Rose Skinner Hiers, 82, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 21, 2025. Carolyn was born on June 4, 1943 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Survived by her life partner and best friend William Ferrell, son Andrew (Gina) Nash, 3 grandchildren, Alexander, Marelise, and Denver Nash, nephew Howard (Laura) Bloomberg, 6 great nephews and 3 grand nieces. Preceded in death by her daughter, Amanda Nash, parents Shelton Douglas Skinner, Sr. and Ruth Gertrude Crimmins Skinner, brother Shelton Douglas Skinner, Jr., sister Winifred Skinner Bloomberg and nieces Mary Martin Bloomberg Reid, Madeline Marie Bloomberg, and Christina Chapman.

Carolyn graduated from Biloxi High School and received her Bachelor of Science at the University of Southern Mississippi. She began her education career in Delise, Mississippi with the Pass Christian Head Start program and then transferred into the Biloxi School System. Her sister suggested that she pursue a Master of Science at Loyola University New Orleans through a grant from the National Science Foundation to improve the quality of science education in elementary school. She taught at St. Francis Cabrini in New Orleans. Carolyn moved to Atlanta, where in 1971, she helped to integrate the Atlanta School System. She took a hiatus from education while starting her family.

Carolyn then moved to Tallahassee, Florida and started with FAMU’s Upward Bound. The program assisted graduates who were struggling in their first year of college and high school students, focusing on Algebra and Biology. Carolyn helped implement Talent Search, based out of FAMU, and was the coordinator of the program. She then became the assistant director of the TRIO program. Carolyn retired after 20+ years at FAMU and touched countless lives, helping children from underserved communities not only graduate from high school but attain advanced degrees.

Carolyn was always known for her kindness, grace, compassion, and love of family and friends. Carolyn was committed to providing all children access to a good education as well as enabling people with social, cultural, and economic disadvantages to achieve higher education, helping make her community a better place to live. Carolyn will be best remembered for her love of being out and about with Bill “Bubba” “Pop-Pop” “Jackson-Johnson-Junior” Ferrell and never meet a stranger.

Funeral service will be 11:00 A.M. Wednesday, August 27, 2025 at Strong & Jones Chapel. Burial will follow at Clifford Hill Cemetery.

Viewing will be from 12:00 (Noon) to 6:00 P.M. Tuesday, August 26, 2025 at Strong & Jones Funeral Home.

On behalf of the staff and management of Strong & Jones Funeral Home, Inc., we would like to extend our deepest sympathy to the family of Mrs. Carolyn Rose Skinner Hiers.