Carrie Leigh Carter Conkin

Carrie Leigh Carter Conkin, age 46, was welcomed by her Savior on January 9, 2024 at Vanderbilt University Medical Center after courageously battling a chronic lung disease for many years. Carrie’s unwavering Christian faith, constant smile, kind soul, and contagious positive attitude have been a source of inspiration to those blessed to have known her. She is remembered as a devoted wife, mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, loyal friend, and an excellent teacher to her students. Carrie was truly a beautiful person in every way to the deepest core of her being…a shining star and an overflowing vessel of God’s grace and love.

Carrie was a lifelong resident of Sullivan County, growing up in the Rock Springs community. Many of the dear, close friendships made from an early age remained throughout her life. Carrie was a lifelong learner, graduating from Sullivan South High School, ETSU, and Milligan University. She continued to share her passion of education at Andrew Johnson Elementary School, making a difference in countless lives, including students, staff, and their families. Carrie's endearing love of animals lives on through Caroline, and in recent years she thoroughly enjoyed supporting her daughter Caroline in achieving her equestrian dream and was her biggest cheerleader.

Carrie is survived by her devoted husband and the love of her life, John, daughter Caroline, mother Nellie Roberts and husband Sanford (step brother Shane), father David Carter and wife Amy (half-sister Grace), mother and father-in-law, Courtney and Marshall Conkin (sisters-in-law Mary Price and Vera Brandon), along with a multitude of loving aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews. Preceding her in death were her grandparents Sarah and Auke Valk, Louise and Jack Jones, and her beloved God-daughter Hayley White.

To know Carrie was to love her. Her life was a brilliant example of walking by faith. Carrie’s family and friends take comfort in knowing she is healed of physical suffering and rejoicing in heaven, with the promise of eternal life and reunion.