Mable Carlyle

Black Mountain - Mable Searcy Carlyle, 90, of 807 Holly Avenue, passed away at her son’s home in Flat Rock on December 26, 2021. She was the first child of the late Alfred Searcy and Vinetta Eliza Hyder Searcy. She was born in 1931 on a red clay farm in the Sunnyview Community of Polk County in a house built by her great grandfather. Mable left home for college the same year electricity was installed in the house. Prior to that all water was carried from a spring and the heating and cooking was accomplished on a wood stove. She attended Spartanburg Junior College and Greenville General Hospital Nursing School becoming a RN. Later she completed her BSN at Western Carolina University. After working as a nurse for 20 years she left work to attend Emory University completing a masters degree. Mable then spent the next 25 years in nursing education at Western Carolina eventually retiring as Professor Emeritus. While at WCU she took groups of student nurses for a month each summer to work in a hospital in Zambia. Mable was also active in the early days of ABCCM setting up the original dispensary. Mable was very active in Rotary serving as president of the Asheville West Rotary Club. This club was small in size but very dedicated to the community and she thought of the members as family. She was a Paul Harris fellow and recipient of The Service Above Self Award of which is the highest honor that Rotary International bestows on a Rotarian. She was a 57-year member of First Baptist Church Black Mountain. She and her family are very thankful to the church for their support especially Bud Lewis, Cathie Ollis, Penny Green, Bill Walker and Ray Cockrell. For a seventh generation North Carolinian she sure enjoyed traveling to other parts of the world. Mable visited countries in 5 continents including Russia, China and the Middle East. She was also known for providing homesick relief for many young campers at the Camp Rockmont “Ship” where she spent many summers as a nurse. Her grandsons are grateful for the opportunities she provided to them to attend Camp Rockmont. Mable is survived by four sisters Mary Crumpton, Dorothy Cluff, Margaret Schultz, Elizabeth Hensley and three brothers Donald Searcy, Perry Searcy, James Searcy, two sons Edward Carlyle and wife Sharon, Christopher Carlyle and wife Deborah, two daughters Constance Neal and Catherine Carlyle, three grandsons Robert Woods, Cameron Carlyle and Andrew Carlyle, two granddaughters Christina Carlyle and Heather Harris and one great granddaughter Carly Woods. The family is also thankful for the very helpful neighbor Judy Skinner Curtis. Funeral services will be held at 11 AM Thursday, December 30, 2021 at Lebanon UMC, 2330 Big Level Road, Mill Spring, NC. Burial will follow in Lebanon UMC Cemetery. A visitation will be held from 5 to 7 PM Wednesday at Anders-Rice Funeral Home. A memorial service will be scheduled for a later date at First Baptist Church, Black Mountain.