Caroline Shelton Hayter

Caroline was born on May 21, 1999, in La Jolla, California, before moving shortly thereafter to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She attended Saint Thomas More School and East Chapel Hill High School, where she played soccer and field hockey and became known as the "ghost on the post" during two state championship seasons. She graduated cum laude from the University of Alabama with a degree in Creative Media and a minor in English. While there, she was a member of Alpha Phi, spent time on the Alabama Hunt Seat Equestrian Team, and worked with the Alabama Ice Hockey team on marketing, operating the scoreboard during games, and monitoring the penalty box. She was employed in the Creative Services Department at Sports Endeavors in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Caroline was smart, funny, kind, passionate, free-spirited, fearless, adventurous, and endlessly creative. She loved art, theater, traveling, country music, surfing, scuba diving, collecting seashells and rocks, and sports—especially Alabama football. She had a deep affection for animals, which always seemed to be drawn to her, and that compassion inspired her decision to become a vegetarian. Among the things she disliked were her childhood nicknames, "Nan" and "Nanny," which she reluctantly tolerated well into adulthood; math and science, because there was only one correct answer to every problem; and "Sweet Caroline," which would inexplicably begin playing at sporting events she happened to be attending.

She is survived by her parents, Eileen and James Hayter of Chapel Hill; her brother, Walker, of New York City; her maternal grandparents, Diane Urmann of Mandeville, Louisiana, and Frank Urmann of Naples, Florida; her aunts and uncles, Rachelle and Mickey Urmann and Rania and Kyle Urmann; and her cousins, Cole, Riley, Adam, and Aiden, all of the Atlanta area. She is also survived by Penny, our chocolate Labrador, who joined the family at Caroline's insistence after the passing of Ellie, our first dog, and by Bumble, her beloved Golden Retriever, whom she adopted during college despite our protestations but who has since become a cherished companion.

Caroline lived a full and rewarding life for twenty-seven wonderful years. She was a remarkable gift. The pain of losing her is immeasurable, but it is tempered by profound gratitude for the privilege of having had her in our lives for the time we did.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Ocean Conservancy or to your favorite charity dedicated to animal welfare.

A celebration of Caroline's life will be held at a later date.