Obituary: Carolyn Eplan Goldsmith

Carolyn Eplan Goldsmith died peacefully on March 12, 2021, with a daughter by her bedside. Carolyn was a proud native Atlantan, born in this city on July 10, 1924, to Samuel and Bess Abelson Eplan.

She graduated from Girls’ High, where she played a clarinet in the school band that played at the opening of “Gone With the Wind” at Loew’s Grand Theater in 1939, and in Piedmont Park when President Franklin Roosevelt visited Atlanta. She went on to attend Agnes Scott College, Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri, where she earned a degree in journalism.

Following college, Carolyn worked as a buyer and bridal consultant at JP Allen until, in 1948, she wed Robert Henry Goldsmith. They were married until her beloved “Bobby,” as Carolyn called him, died in May 2011.

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From a young age, Carolyn worked to raise funds toward establishing the State of Israel. She was a life member of Hadassah and a past president of the Atlanta Hadassah chapter. She also served as city director of Young Judea and belonged to B’nai B’rith, for which she served as a youth group advisor. Carolyn traveled extensively as a fundraising speaker for Brandeis camps, Jewish Federation and Hadassah.

As her children got older, Carolyn joined Bob in operating the Cricket Shops women’s clothing stores, where she also resumed her buying career. After selling the stores, Carolyn and Bob opened a showroom at the Atlanta Apparel Mart and became sales representatives for a number of “art clothing” manufacturers until their retirement. Carolyn was a woman of many self-taught talents: cabinet maker, antiques dealer, fabric and jewelry artist, interior decorator, building contractor, gourmet cook and mentor. She and Bob were active members of the Mount Paran Stock Club for more than a half century, and her backyard swimming pool was a happy gathering place for friends and family of all ages for many years.

Carolyn is survived by four daughters Cory Begner (Alan) of Atlanta, Marta Goldsmith (Gary Rosenthal) of Washington, D.C., Kim Goldsmith (Dave Johnson) and Abby Goldsmith (Kevin Hendler), all of Atlanta; nine grandchildren Henry Begner (Rhianna Appel) of Asheville, N.C., Reuben Rosenthal (Anna Rieper) and Sophie Rosenthal of Washington, D.C., Noah Johnson of Washington, D.C., Roxy Johnson of Atlanta, Shira Sackett (Ezra) of Edison, N.J., Orli Hendler of Atlanta and Washington, D.C., Eli Hendler of Phoenix, Ariz.; and great-granddaughter Devorah Bina Sackett. She is also survived by her brother Leon Eplan of Atlanta as well as many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their sincerest gratitude to Dr. Hyung Seok Oh, Heidi Roy, Patricia Comer and the entire staff at A.G. Rhodes Wesley Woods for their amazing compassionate care that carried Mom and all of us through her last few months. A private funeral was held March 15. Donations in Carolyn’s memory may be made to the William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum, https://www.thebreman.org/Support/Tribute-Gifts/In-Memory or A.G. Rhodes, https://www.agrhodes.org/donate/ Arrangements by Dressler’s Jewish Funeral Care, 770-451-4999.