Mary Carter Carroll Ziegler (Carter) of Charlottesville, Va. died on February 6, 2024.

Born in 1932, Carter was the youngest child of Nina (Ryan) and Philip Acosta Carroll. She grew up in New York City and in Maryland. She graduated from the Chapin School, and in 1954 married John Ziegler. She raised her three children in New York and Boston. In 1983 she moved to Virginia, first to Free Union and then to University Village in Charlottesville where she made many friends and was an active member of the community.

Her three great loves were art, literature and gardens. She was an accomplished artist with a bold sense of color who generously supported local artists and volunteered her time teaching art. Her knowledge of literature was extensive, as was her collection of books, especially illustrated children’s books. Above all, she loved being in the country, visiting the mountains and designing and cultivating the garden at her house in Nelson County.

She was also widely-traveled and stayed in touch with her extended family in France and England. Her grandchildren remember her for her wonderful stories and her great sense of style. A devout Catholic, she supported her local church and reached out generously to those in need. Finally – and to the end – she was fiercely independent and self-assured. Her courage in facing difficulties in her life was an inspiration to those who knew her.

Carter is survived by her three daughters, Natalie, Jessica and Sophie Ziegler, by five grandchildren (Alexandra and John Christian Zirschky, Catherine Lucey, and Reed and Simon Schwartz), a great grandchild, and by nieces, nephews and grand-nieces and nephews, all of whom greatly miss her. She was predeceased by her brothers, Philip and John Lee (Shawn). Her ex-husband, John Ziegler, died in 2021.

For more on services and to share your condolences, visit Hill and Wood Funeral Services.