Carolyn Ann Bodie Sweeney

Carolyn Ann Bodie Sweeney was swept up by her heavenly Father and taken home after a brief but sudden bout with lung cancer on July 27, 2020.

Ann was b orn August 26, 1940 in Richmond Virginia to Clyde Owen Bodie and Virginia Graham Bodie and was a tenth great granddaughter of Pocahontas . Ann enjoyed a childhood growing up on the family farm in Pow hatan Virginia with her brothers, sister and cousins . Everyone who knew Ann knew how creative and energetic she was and that started early.  In high school she played the saxophone and was in the marching band and played Varsity basketball.

After gr aduat ing from Powhatan High School she attended Mary Washington where she met and married the young marine Lieutenant Smith Sweeney. They travelled extensive ly and Ann was an active member of the Officer’s Wives Club at the many different bases where they were stationed including Patch Barracks in Stuttgart Germany , Camp Pendleton, California and the Boston Naval Shipyard where she served as President. Ann began painting while in Boston and continued through out her life and earned a degree in Illust ration in 1984 .  She joined the Crooked Creek Art League in Chapin , SC in 2012 where she received a number of awards for her work, most recently Best in Show in 2019 for her portrait of a Sudanese refugee .

Her creativity and energy manifested itself in all aspects of her life and her church life was no exception . In the late 90’s, s he was charged with the Banner Ministry at Gateway Baptist designing and sewing dozens of banners. She painted murals on the walls of the Sunday School rooms for the children with animals and B ible motifs. She participated in B ible studies on a regular basis and took multiple mission trips including Moldova and two trips to Sudan where she taught women refugees to crochet using plastic bags. She participated in many B ible studies and was a fixture at early Sunday church services where she warmly welcomed new members and visitors. She loved serving and telling others about Jesus and gave of herself tirelessly . Up until the onset of her illness, she ran the Widow’s Ministry at Gateway which she started after her husband’s death in 2018.

She was a devoted wife and best of the best of mothers. Ann is survived by her daughter Sonya Diimmler (David Diimmler), sister Virginia Wingard, and brothers Clyde Owen Bodie (Mary) and John Gary Bodie (Diane) and lots of nieces and nephews.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held at Gateway Baptist Church , 1651 Dutch Fork Rd, Irmo, SC 2906 3 on Tuesday August 4, 2020 at 11:00 am with Pastor s Don Brock and Ronald Flynn officiating. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the church. A private graveside service will be held afterwards where she will be interred at Fort Jackson National Cemetery with her late husband Lt. Col. Smith Sweeney, (ret).

God bless all the friends and family who lifted Ann up in prayer during her life and illness and the immense show of love and concern during her final days.

Memorials may be made to Toby’s Place , care of Oliver Gospel Mission, 1100 Taylor St, Columbia, SC 29201 or online at www.olivergospel.org .