Cover photo for Carol Eileen Rackley's Obituary
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Carol Eileen Rackley

d. October 29, 2017

Carol Eileen Rackley

Carol Eileen Rackley, 81, of Ocean Springs, MS passed away peacefully Sunday, October 29th, 2017 in Biloxi, MS. She was born August 5, 1936 in Bloomington, IL. Carol was born to be a teacher, and was teaching home economics in her hometown of Pittsfield, IL when she met a young airman stationed in Rantoul, IL. She married Hubert C. Rackley, Jr. in 1961, and put her teaching career on hold for a few years while the service took them almost immediately to England. Three of her children were born there, and when the United States Air Force transferred the young family to Charleston, South Carolina, another brother joined the family. In 1968, the final stop for the family was Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi, MS. Carol’s youngest daughter was born there very shortly after Hurricane Camille. The Mississippi Coast became home for her. Carol had resumed her teaching career in South Carolina, and upon arriving on the coast continued to teach in the St. Martin schools for over 25 years before retiring in 1993. She found ways to reach each child individually, and enjoyed helping each child be successful. Just as much, she enjoyed being with the teachers and administrators she worked with every day. She taught her own children well, each one in ways that worked for his or her personality. Somehow she was able to get everyone where they needed to be, managing schedules and obligations, and preparing each for their eventual independence. She continued to share her love of learning with each of her grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her parents, Oral and Alta Thrasher; her sister, Lois Thrasher; and her husband of fifty-two years, Hubert C. Rackley, Jr. Carol is survived by her sister, Shirley Armstrong of Columbus, GA; her brother, Joe Thrasher of Tampa, FL; her children, Hubert C. Rackley, III (Paige) of Gulfport, MS, Ann Overstreet (Tim) of Houston, TX, William Rackley of Houston, TX, Doug Rackley (Lisa) of Biloxi, MS and Wendy Teismann (Todd) of Cincinnati, OH; her grandchildren, Lauren Rackley of Baton Rouge, LA, Jordan Rackley of Starkville, MS, Mary Claire Rackley of Cleveland, MS, Sean and Jason Teismann of Cincinnati, OH. Visitation will be held Friday, November 3, 2017 from 2:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m., with an 3:00 p.m. memorial service, all at the Ocean Springs Chapel of Bradford-O'Keefe Funeral Home. The family would prefer memorials be made to the church or charity of your choice.
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Past Services

Visitation

Friday, November 3, 2017

2:00 - 3:00 pm

Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home - Ocean Springs

911 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

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Memorial Service

Friday, November 3, 2017

Starts at 3:00 pm

Bradford O'Keefe Funeral Home - Ocean Springs

911 Porter Avenue, Ocean Springs, MS 39564

Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text. Standard text messaging rates apply.

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