Carole Kay West Lonergan, RN, age 77, of Cornelia, passed away on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
Born on December 21, 1948, in Alton, Illinois, she was a daughter of the late Ollie Stephen West and Letha Mildred Swann West.
Carole dedicated her life to the service of others through a distinguished career in nursing that spanned multiple specialties and communities. A Registered Nurse, she brought skill, compassion, and steady leadership to every role she held, working in the emergency room, surgery, outpatient surgery, and intensive care units at several medical facilities. Among these were Habersham Medical Center in Demorest, Georgia, and Passavant Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, Illinois, where her professionalism and commitment to patient care left a lasting impact on colleagues and those she served.
In addition to her clinical work, Carole held leadership positions as Director of Nursing at nursing homes in Colbert, Athens, and Clayton, Georgia. In these roles, she guided staff, advocated for quality care, and ensured that residents were treated with dignity and respect.
Beyond her professional life, Carole remained actively engaged in her community. She was a dedicated member of the Habersham County Republican Party and contributed her time and support to both the local Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Auxiliary and Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Auxiliary.
Carole will be remembered for her unwavering dedication to healthcare, her strong leadership, and her commitment to serving both her patients and her community.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a sister, Betty Berry Winters, and brothers, Harold and Donald Berry.
Survivors include her husband, Robert W. “Bob” Lonergan; sons, Jeff Roberts, Chris Roberts, Shawn Lonergan, and Todd Lonergan; daughter, Nicole Bell; grandchildren, Matt Lonergan, Sara Watson, Noah Lonergan, J.R. Lonergan, Bella Roberts, Rhett Roberts, Alex Bell, Owen Bell, Evan Bell, Todd “Aaron” Lonergan, Jr., and Richard “Allen” Lonergan; great grandchildren, Abby Watson, Jake Watson, and Waylon Lonergan; numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
Memorial services are 2 pm on Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in the Chapel of McGahee-Griffin & McEntire.
The family will receive friends from 1 pm until the service hour at the funeral home.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Shepherd’s Chapel, P.O. Box 416, Gravette, Arkansas 72736.
An online guest registry is available for the Lonergan family at www.mcgaheegriffinandmcentire.com
McGahee-Griffin & McEntire Funeral Home of Cornelia, Georgia (706-778-8668) is in charge of arrangements.
