Carol Ann Winans

Carol Ann (Gearhart) Winans died peacefully on July 31, 2026, her final note in a lifetime of music and joyful song.

She was born June 13, 1940, in Bucyrus, Ohio, to Edwin and Earnestine (Holtshouse) Gearhart. Music became the thread that ran throughout Carol’s life. Her mother, also a gifted musician, encouraged Carol’s development as a pianist, flutist, and singer. In her youth, as a student at Bexley High School, she received many awards for music and enjoyed playing Fiona in the school’s production of Brigadoon.

At Ohio State University, Carol earned a Bachelor of Music in flute and a Bachelor of Science in teaching. After receiving her degrees, Carol taught elementary music and performed with the Columbus Symphony, as a flutist and piccolo player. Later, she played in the Symphony's Flute and Harp Duo, which brought classical music to schools and community organizations.

It was at OSU that Carol met her first husband, Patrick Conrad Winans, and they wed in September 1962. Together, they raised their three daughters, Elizabeth, Barbara and Amy, in Bexley, Ohio. Their marriage later ended in divorce.

Throughout her life, Carol wove together her loves of music and teaching. Her daughters have many memories of singing in the car whenever a trip got boring, playing piano four hands, and being faithfully taken to multiple music lessons each week.

Carol also brought a love for music to the many children and youth of Indianola Presbyterian Church, Columbus, Ohio. For decades, Carol led the Melody and Westminster choirs, teaching children the joy of singing melody and harmony in ensemble. Her work involved preparing the choirs for Sunday worship services and staging and presenting a yearly musical. Through her ministry, a love of music lives on in generations of adults who sang under her direction.

Carol will be remembered for her joyful and enthusiastic spirit. She laughed easily, found delight in learning and exploration, was a wonderful friend to many, and an extraordinary mother. Always there to help with the next school project, or to plan a Sweet Sixteen treasure hunt, or to listen when life was confusing for an adolescent, her daughters are so very grateful for the bottomless well of love, patience, and kindness she gave them – and the world.

Carol is also remembered as a consummate host. She baked endless batches of cookies for the annual Christmas Eve party, hosted extended family gatherings, and regularly said yes to parties in the backyard. Her Christian faith found expression in hospitality, music, and service to generations.

In 2005, Carol married Richard "Dick" Wires, beginning a joyful new chapter of life. Together they explored the richness of the country they loved, traveling across the United States in their Airstream trailer many times. Along the way they visited family and old friends, made many new ones, and delighted in places such as Four Corners and Glacier National Park (and the cinnamon rolls at Johnson’s of St. Mary Café at the East entrance!).

Carol is survived by her husband, Dick, her three daughters and their spouses, Elizabeth and Timothy Winslea, Barbara and Kenneth Bagley, and Amy and Matthew Brown, and her grandchildren, Jacob, Donna, Anna, Annabelle, Erin, Lucy and William. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Kay Horowitz, and her first husband.

To the end, Carol shared her joyful spirit with everyone around her. Those who grieve her passing do so with hearts full of gratitude for the gift of knowing and loving her.

A memorial service for Carol will be held on Saturday, September 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Indianola Presbyterian Church, 1970 Waldeck Ave, Columbus, Ohio. In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to Indianola Presbyterian Church’s Music Fund.

The joyful song Carol shared continues to echo in the lives of all who knew and loved her.