Obituary of Elsie Elizabeth Carome

Elsie Elizabeth Orr Carome, 63, passed away peacefully at home on December 10, 2018, surrounded by her family and the love of Jesus Christ. Elsie bravely fought a long battle with cancer in the same spirit as she did with everything in her life - with grace, courage, and great wit. She was born in Asheville, NC on July 7, 1955, to William Franklin Orr and Maria Merritt Quillian Orr. The family lived in Brevard, NC before moving to Chesterfield, MO. Elsie graduated from Parkway Central High School in 1973, where she was an honor student and active in many extracurriculars. She continued to be a student leader in college and graduated from the University of Kansas in 1977 with a BFA in Graphic Design. After college, Elsie moved to San Francisco, CA, where she worked as a graphic designer at Macy's and then created her own firm, DesignOrr. She moved to Washington, DC in 1988, where she continued her career in graphic design at E.J. White & Co. and as an independent designer. She was married to Patrick Carome for almost 20 years, and together they had two children, Katherine Elizabeth Carome and William Joseph Carome. Elsie was a devout Christian and served as deacon and elder at both Calvary Presbyterian Church in San Francisco, CA and at Chevy Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church in Washington, DC, and was active in several Bible Studies and as a Sunday School teacher. She was actively involved in the Beauvoir School, National Cathedral School, and Saint Albans School communities. Elsie was a very talented artist who brought joy and beauty to those around her during her lifetime. Her legacy of artworks, including distinctive logos, newsletters, publications, doodles, murals, costumes, and unique gifts, will continue to touch, move, and inspire others for generations. As her San Francisco pastor and friend wrote, "If imagination is the image of God in us, Elsie had it overflowing!" She was preceded in death by her parents and is survived by her children Katie and Will; her sisters, Mariah "Penny" Ruggles; Louisa Meyer and her husband, James Meyer; and Caroline Kermath; and many nieces and nephews, including, Rebecca and Sarah Ruggles; Benjamin Meyer, his wife Holly and their children; John Meyer; James and Mark Kermath. To celebrate Elsie's life, the family is hosting a reception on Saturday, December 15th from 1-3pm at St. Alban's Refectory, Washington, DC. A Service of Witness to the Resurrection followed by a reception and showing of some of her artwork will be held on Monday, December 17th at 3:30pm at Chevy Chase Presbyterian Church, Washington, DC. In honor of Elsie's bright spirit, the family invites you to join them in wearing a splash of color. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Elsie's honor to the National Brain Tumor Society.