The Carol Clark Memorial Fund

Children in foster care often miss out on extra and fun experiences that other children may have the opportunity to participate in. These experiences include summer camps, sports, dance classes, band, and school dances. In memory of Carol Clark, one of Oasis’s founding board members, this fund will bring these enriching experiences to foster children who otherwise would not have them. We hope this fund honors Carol’s spirit of kindness, generosity, and love.

Full Obituary:

Caroline “Carol” Bedsole Clark, beloved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, passed away peacefully at home on December 8th, 2025. Born on April 8th, 1956, to Mary Ellen Thompson Bedsole and Sidney Amos Bedsole, Carol grew up in Tarheel, North Carolina. She attended Wake Forest University and later graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Journalism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She went on to earn her MBA from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Carol began her career in advertising and marketing, where she was known for her creativity and wit. With the births of her two sons, she embraced life as a full-time mother, though she was never far from her next project. Stepping into real estate, she discovered a lasting passion as a certified home-staging decorologist. Always meticulous and remarkably gifted at bringing her vision to life, she shared her talents eagerly with clients, friends, and family. As a leader in the Real Estate Home Staging Association, Carol contributed her knowledge and expertise to countless others in the field.

Her life was a tapestry of devotion and service, woven with threads of love and commitment to those around her. As a Sunday School teacher, she nurtured young minds in faith. As a volunteer Guardian ad Litem, she stood as the lone voice for her community’s children in distress. She delighted in bringing Bethlehem to life each Christmas at “Bethlehem Revisited” at First Church of Coral Springs, Florida. Most recently, she poured her time and heart into Oasis of Hope, the only statewide non-therapeutic foster care licensing agency in South Carolina.

Carol somehow found a way to pack more than twenty-four hours into each day. She was always present, especially when cheering on her children and grandchildren at their many events, wearing a beautiful smile and beaming with pride. She embodied the spirit of a “busy bee”, leaving those around her amazed at how she made everything seem effortless. Through it all, she never wavered in her commitments and continuously nurtured the bonds of family and friendship.

As we gather this holiday season, we remember how much Carol loved giving gifts—some might say to excess—and the joy she found in a home full of family: laughing, sharing stories, simply being together. Even in the face of cancer and fatigue, she remained doggedly optimistic, carried by resilient hope and courageous faith. She was truly well-loved, leaving behind a legacy of warmth and strength that continues to inspire all who knew her.

Carol is survived by her husband of forty-four years, Reese Clark; their sons, Hunter and his wife, Amber, and Sheldon and his wife, Caitlin; their grandchildren, Finley and Nolan; and her siblings—her sister, Shirley Schulz, and brothers, Amos Jr., Bill, and Kenneth Bedsole.