Carol Lorene Chur

Carol Lorene Chur was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend. She left this world on Aug. 1, 2023 at age 80.
She was born in Imperial, Nebraska on March 18, 1943. After graduating Salutatorian from Chase County High School she attended the University of Nebraska. Leaving Nebraska for the first time, she attended Syracuse University and graduated with a M.A. from the Newhouse Communications Center in Journalism with specialty in mental health communications. Then in 2005, after working for 38 years she went back to school to complete another master’s degree at the University of New York at Buffalo in art history. She completed a thesis titled: The Raquette River Quilters: A Case Study of Cultural Biases and Contemporary Quiltmaking Production from a Feminist Perspective.
At Syracuse University, she met her husband Robert M. Chur. Together, they had two children: Carla and Kelly. In 1978, Carol and Bob founded Heathwood Health Care Center, a skilled nursing facility which grew to a large organization, ElderWood Senior Care. ElderWood was comprised of 19 independent, assisted living, skilled nursing and rehab facilities. In 2013, 17 facilities were sold, along with the corporate name. ElderWood developed a stellar reputation as a premier provider of residential elder care and earned many prestigious awards.
Carol’s greatest treasures were her relationship with her family and demanding excellence in everything she did. Especially important were her grandchildren Lucas, Sofia, Leah and Nicole. As a talented writer she used this throughout her career and in daily life. She prided herself on helping others less fortunate and with her husband, established the Chur Family Foundation in 2014. Today this foundation has grown to $11.5 million which helps many non-profit organizations. Carol was an ardent advocate for supporting the women’s movement by being a founding member of National Women’s History Museum, raising quilting to a respected art form, and supporting women artists in general.
A memorial service was on Aug. 13 at Clarence First Presbyterian church, 9675 Main Street, Clarence, NY 14031.