Carlotta Rockwood Owen, 76, passed away due to natural causes Saturday, Nov. 6, 2021, at her home in Martins Creek.
She was born in Southern Pines, N.C., on June 6, 1945, the first child of the late Brad and Kay Rockwood.
Survivors include her children, Leah Sullens Cleveland, Ga., Brad Mayhew Beersheba Springs, Tenn., Walker Owen Gainesville, Fla., and Lilly Owen Bend, Ore.; sisters, Joyce Hudson Frankfurt, Ky., and Nancy Greear Helen, Ga.; grandchildren, April Fisher of Cleveland, Ga., Grace Sullens of Cleveland, Ga., Brittany DeVincentis of Cleveland, Ga., and Winnie Porter Owen of Gainesville, Fla.; her beloved puppy, Pepper; and many great-grandchildren, nephews and nieces.
She was preceded in death by Porter Owen, her husband of 36 years.
Carla was a woman of many lifelong pursuits. She studied art with a concentration in textile design at the University of Georgia. She built a bread baking business, cooked in local restaurants and bakeries and managed the kitchen at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown. She also went on to teach fiber arts classes, gardening classes and cooking classes there, and then to be the Resident Artist in both Weaving and Cooking. Her passion for knowledge led her to apprentice at the Three Stone Heart in 2009, a community supported kitchen in Berkeley, Calif., that produces nourishing-traditions food.
Carla was a wife, homemaker and loving mother of her four children for 56 years. She was a beloved pillar of the folk school community, where her poise and welcoming presence helped strangers and friends alike to feel at home.
Carla was an incredibly strong person and believed in one’s own will to affect an outcome. She was a two-time victor in her battles with cancer and lived an astonishing eight years after her pancreatic cancer diagnosis. In her life as a cancer survivor, she commissioned a local builder to build a home on the family property in Martins Creek. Carla was deeply involved in the design and construction process, often hopping in to finish tasks including laying tile, making countertops and landscaping. She used her lifelong appreciation of aesthetics and beauty in the design, and she created a home that is a tribute to the community and mountains she loved.
Throughout her life Carla was an active outdoorswoman, avid gardener and involved community member. She was a part of the Murphy/Brasstown community remaining active in choral and dance groups to her final days.
A private family ceremony took place Friday, Nov. 12, at the Fain plot in Sunset Cemetery in Murphy. Carla was buried in a handmade casket built by Porter Owen before he passed. A memorial celebration was held Friday, Nov. 12, at the Open House of the Folk School.
Memorial gifts may be made to the ACLU at ACLU Membership Department, 125 Broad St., 18th floor, New York, NY 10004; or the National Audubon Society at 225 Varick St., 7th floor, New York, NY 10014.