Carolyn (Katz Sher) Liebowitz died Monday, December 19, 2022, at her home in Rockville, MD. After more than two years of fighting ovarian cancer, she spent her final days surrounded by her family. She was 77.

Carolyn was born May 28, 1945, to Gertrude and George Katz in Paterson, NJ. She grew up in New Jersey with her sister, Audrey, and brother, Richard, and graduated from high school in 1963. She later attended Penn State University, George Washington University and Boston University, earning bachelor's and master's degrees in education.

Carolyn lived for 17 years in Miami, teaching in some of the city's most challenging neighborhoods. In 1994, she moved to the Washington, D.C., area, settling in Springfield, Va., and teaching in several Virginia public school systems. Her favorite memories of her years in Miami and Virginia were the lasting friendships she made in the schools where she taught, including ones that lasted until her death. When she retired from teaching in 2008, she moved to Maryland to be closer to her children and grandchildren.

Anyone who knew Carolyn knew that her family was everything to her. She was immensely proud of her sons, Jared and Justin, and thought of their wives, Becky and Lindsay, as her daughters. She was never happier than when she was with her grandchildren, Jake, Lucy, Penny, Ruby and Clementine. Their accomplishments in school and sports were some of her greatest joys. Carolyn married Howard, the love of her life, in 2010, and they took enormous pleasure in spending time with their 13 shared grandchildren, in both the U.S. and Israel. Howard was a steadfast partner through the ups and downs of her two-year illness, supporting her even as the disease made it difficult to do the things they enjoyed.

Carolyn loved very rare steak and very crispy French fries (her family used to tease her when she asked the somewhat perplexed servers at Nationals Park to burn her fries). She loved any kind of strawberry dessert, rooted hard for the Washington Nationals (especially during their 2019 World Series run), and was thrilled to visit Disney World for the last time in 2021, where she loved Tower of Terror and hated Millennium Falcon: Smuggler's Run. In the last decade of her life, she took painting classes at several studios in the area. She leaves behind dozens of paintings that her family will treasure.

Beloved wife of Howard Liebowitz; devoted mother of Jared (Becky) Sher and Justin (Lindsay) Sher; loving sister of Audrey (late Eugene) Stulberger and Richard (Barbara) Katz and sister-in-law of Amy Katz; cherished grandmother of Jake, Lucy, Penny, Ruby and Clementine Sher. She also is survived by Howard's children, Kara (Alan) Silbert, Andrew Liebowitz (Ali Pluznik), and Howard's eight grandchildren and one great-granddaughter.

To honor Carolyn's memory, please consider a donation this holiday season to Modest Needs ( modestneeds.org ), an organization that provides short-term support to individuals and families.

A small family service is planned.