Carlisle Caughman Harvard

The family of Elizabeth Carlisle Caughman Harvard announces with great sorrow the death of their dear wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt and beloved friend to many, on Tuesday, December 24th, 2024, in Durham, NC.

Carlisle was born February 10, 1941 in Columbia, SC, the daughter of the late Madeleine Elizabeth Jennings Caughman and James Bankston Caughman. She is survived by her high school sweetheart and beloved husband for 61 years, the Rev. Joseph Sherwood Harvard III and children, Rebecca Elizabeth Harvard (Dave Kreutzberg) and Joseph Bankston Harvard (Katie Harvard). Carlisle was the proud grandmother of 4 granddaughters, Jennings Hope Leonard, Maryn Carlisle Leonard, Katherine Anne Harvard and Emma Bankston Harvard.

She is also survived by her sister, Madeleine Caughman Ritchie of Pawleys Island, SC, her brother, Marvin Jennings Caughman (Rita) of Columbia, SC, and Danish sister Yrsa Kristiansen (Mogens); and beloved in-laws and nieces, nephews and great nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brothers, James Bankston (Jack) Caughman, Jr, and Dr. Stewart Wright Caughman, and her sister, Lee Caughman Piepenbring.

Carlisle attended Hand Jr. High and Dreher High School in Columbia, SC. She was a Merit Scholarship Finalist in the class of ’59 and voted as Most Likely to Succeed. Carlisle was chosen as an American Field Service exchange student to Denmark in the summer of 1958, where she developed a lifelong close relationship with her Danish sister and family. The motto of AFS is: “Walk Together, Talk Together, Oh Ye People of the Earth and Then and Only Then will You Have Peace.” This became a guiding principle for her life’s work.

Carlisle graduated from Converse College in Spartanburg, SC in 1963, At graduation she received the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award presented by the Sullivan Foundation, “honoring students of noble character who put service above self.” In 1988 Carlisle received the Converse College Alumnae Association Distinguished Service Citation award.

Carlisle and Joe were married at the Washington Street Methodist Church in Columbia on August 17, 1963.

After earning her degree in mathematics, Carlisle became a public-school teacher at Decatur High School in Decatur, GA while her husband attended Columbia Theological Seminary.

In 1966, they spent a year in Basel, Switzerland for Joe to study at the University of Basel. The couple moved the following year to New Haven, CT for Joe to pursue a degree at Yale Divinity School while Carlisle worked as the Director of the Alumnae Association.

In 1968, Joe took a call to a church in Louisville, KY where they started a family, and Carlisle began living into her calling as the “quintessential pastor’s wife” (ever gracious, hospitable, accepting, patient, inquisitive and strong in faith) while living in Louisville. Their family grew while living in Tallahassee Florida from 1970 until 1974. The Harvards moved back to Decatur in 1974 where Carlisle soon began working professionally again as the Manager of the Columbia Seminary bookstore, raising two lively children and supporting Joe’s ministry at North Decatur Presbyterian Church.

Shortly after relocating to Durham, NC in 1980 for Joe to serve as pastor of First Presbyterian Church, Carlisle began work with Hospice of NC as Director of Training and Education with volunteers throughout the state. It was during this time as a member of the Orange Presbytery Committee on Peacemaking that she applied to be a member of a delegation of 40 Presbyterians to the Soviet Union led by Dr. Bruce Rigdon to build bridges with Russian Christians. Carlisle was invited to join Bruce in a leadership role, and for the next 20 years they led groups of Christians from around the US to meet with Russian Christians. She was invited to share her experiences with congregations across the country.

In 1986, long time and much beloved head of Student Affairs at Duke University, Bill Griffith, offered Carlisle the position as the Director of the International House. In this position she was able to welcome several thousand international students to Duke and Durham to orient them to life at Duke, and to ensure the university provided hospitality and benefited from their presence. It was also her role to train community volunteers to serve as hosts to the students. She held this position for 21 years, retiring in 2007. Carlisle loved her work and often said “when you love your work you are rich!”

Carlisle became a Cameron Crazie, cheering for Duke basketball and attending their first two National Championships in 1991 and 1992.

Carlisle was an active member of First Presbyterian Church in Durham for over 40 years, serving as an ordained elder and member of the Session. She was involved in ecumenical, interfaith and interracial efforts to build what Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, called “The Beloved Community” in Durham.

The Harvard family would like to thank the staff at Atria Southpoint Walk, Croasdaile Village Health Center, our specialized group of Duke Hospice professionals, and the phenomenal Brittany Fuentas who led a loving care team for Carlisle in her final weeks in this life. And with special gratitude to the Rev. Mindy Douglas and the Rev. Esther

Hethcox of First Presbyterian and all of our loving friends who prayed for, visited and loved on Carlisle during this difficult time.

Family visitation will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 305 E. Main St, Durham NC from 5pm to 7pm on Friday, January 3. A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at the church on Saturday, January 4 at 11:00 am. Carlisle’s nephews will serve as her pallbearers. A reception honoring the life of Carlisle will be held at the church following the service.

In lieu of flowers, contributions in Carlisle’s memory may be made to the Outreach Ministry at First Presbyterian Church, 305 East Main Street, Durham NC 27701. A live stream of the funeral can be found at https://firstpres-durham.org/

Hall Wynne Funeral Service & Crematory is serving the Harvard family.