Katherine Caroline Echard, age 81, died of complications from Parkinson's disease on November 4, 2022, surrounded by her family. Born in Cut Bank, Montana, November 4, 1941. Caroline lived in many places during her childhood including most of new England and eventually settled in Norfolk, Virginia where her stepfather was stationed as an officer in the Navy. Norfolk is where she started High school and met her future husband. It was around that time in 1957 that she also became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which would have a significant impact on the rest of her life.

She attended school at Brigham Young University and at Mount Mary Nursing School but did not complete her undergraduate degree until many years later. In her early 50s she decided to go back to school and complete her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education at Georgia State University where she graduated cum laude at the age of 53 and was able to share the graduation stage with her youngest son.

Her favorite role in life was that of a wife and a mother to 5 children and her life's work was focused on serving others. Church service seemed to be the perfect place for her to showcase her many talents. She used her considerable talents as an accomplished High School actress and her beautiful voice to bless the lives of countless numbers of children in the church's Primary organization where she served as Primary President several times. With her improvisational style and larger than life storytelling she shared her testimony and faith in Jesus Christ. Her talents with children also allowed her to be a great example to many women in the church as she served several times as President of the Relief Society for her local congregation and eventually as Stake Relief Society President for a large portion of North Georgia.  She was especially known for serving many years as a Young Women's Camp Director and her over 25 years in the Atlanta Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America.

She also had many opportunities to serve in the church along with her husband. She and her husband served as CES Missionaries in the New Haven, Connecticut Institute of Religion for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They also served together as President and Matron for the Atlanta Georgia Temple for three years. Even after these years of service, Caroline and her husband moved to Ellijay, GA where they continued to serve the members in rural North Georgia for almost 10 years, serving in church callings, working with homeless shelters and serving the older members.

Caroline is survived by her husband of 62 years, Jim David Echard, her siblings Marylin Hill, Judy Pangle Bernhard and John Pangle, children Kathy Youngblood (Richard), Ann Azurin (Michael), John Echard (Stephanie), Steven Echard (Tami) and Lori Richards (Aaron), 17 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sister Joy Pangle and her parents Katherine Evelyn Fuller and Roy Willard Smith.

Funeral services will be held 12:00 p.m. MST, Tuesday, November 8th at Flamm Funeral Home in Rexburg.  The family will receive friends from 11:00 to 11:45 a.m. at the funeral home prior to services.  Interment will be in the Rexburg Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers please contribute to "LDS Philanthropies – Humanitarian Aid Fund" which has been organized to relieve suffering, foster self-reliance and provide opportunities for service.

Donations: Humanitarian Services | Philanthropies (churchofjesuschrist.org)

SERVICES MAY BE VIEWED AT: https://my.gather.app/remember/katherine-caroline-echard