Mary Carolyn Wharton
World traveler
Mary Carolyn Wharton, 82, of East Washington, died Tuesday, December 10, 2013, in Southmont of Presbyterian SeniorCare with her sister and niece by her side.
She was born November 30, 1931, a daughter of the late Robert Blaine and Annie Laurie Martin Wharton.
She was a student at East Washington Grade School and a 1949 graduate of Mount de Chantal Visitation Academy in Wheeling, W.Va.
Ms. Wharton attended University of Pittsburgh and California University of Pennsylvania.
She had a true passion for travel and was fortunate to have traveled all over the world. She began her career at AAA in Washington and later worked at TWA in Pittsburgh. In 1963, she followed her travel industry career to San Francisco, Calif., then to Chicago, Ill., where she opened her successful travel school.
To remain near her family, Ms. Wharton eventually moved to Wheeling, where she owned and operated Plaza Travel, until retiring in 1996. She was experienced and knowledgeable in planning world-class vacations for her clients and was well-regarded in the travel industry.
Ms. Wharton was a member of Daughters of the American Revolution, North Shore Chapter.
She was dearly loved by her family, and is survived by a sister, Annie Laurie Wharton Foust of Washington; two brothers, Robert B. Wharton and John R. (Becky) Wharton, both of Washington; several nieces and nephews, Thomas Slater (Katie) Foust Jr., Annie Laurie Foust, Mary Carolyn Foust (Tim) Kinskey, William Michael (Jill) Foust, Emily Wharton (David) Koehler and Susan Wharton (Steve) Robertson; along with 12 grand-nieces and grand-nephews, Mollie, Tommy, Grace, Elizabeth, Charlie, Nicholas, Marshall, Jack, Ian, Sara, Grace and Joshua.
Deceased is Thomas Slater Foust, who was like a brother to her.
Friends will be received from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Piatt and Barnhill Funeral Home, 420 Locust Avenue, Washington. A funeral liturgy will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 14, in Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, Washington, with the Rev. Lou Pascazi as celebrant. Interment will follow in Washington Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be designated to Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Department of Development, 200 First Street SW, Rochester, MN 55905.
Condolences may be expressed at and photos uploaded to www.familyremembers.com. Piatt and Barnhill Funeral Directors Inc., Charles R. Piatt, owner/supervisor and Lawrence K. Donovan, funeral director