Carol Wise, a longtime member of Roseland Park Baptist Church and wife of Joseph “Danny” Wise, passed away Saturday afternoon as a result of injuries sustained during a car accident in Texas.
The couple was on vacation last week when they were involved in an accident on Highway 87 in Lubbock County, Texas on June 1, according to previous coverage.
Danny Wise, a former Pearl River County Supervisor, was pronounced at the scene, while Carol Wise was taken to a hospital in Amarillo for treatment, previous coverage states.
Carol Wise passed away at the hospital due to her injuries, Sgt. Cindy Barkeley with the Texas Department of Public Safety said.
The couple was described as lifelong members and true figures of Roseland Baptist Church, Pastor Dan Young said.
The couple married on August 28, 1966 and joined the church in June of 1969, making 48 years this month, according to church records Young said.
Danny Wise was ordained as a deacon at the church on January 25, 1991 where he continued to serve, even after suffering from a stroke that left him with a pronounced limp.
Whenever there was a need, Danny Wise was there to meet it, he said.
From their early days at the church, Danny and Carol Wise were both very active, he said.
“Their presence complemented each other; Danny was so involved and so service oriented, Carol was quieter and more behind the scenes,” Young said.
In light of their passing, many members have said attending Sunday service won’t be the same, he said, especially because Danny Wise was known for standing on the steps to greet churchgoers as they arrived.
“I always found him to be a very reserved, calm and patient gentleman who you could go to,” Gerald Cruthird, a friend of 40 years said. “He assisted many family members and friends through the years and exemplified outstanding character.”
Carol Wise was the type of person who would notice small things or changes about her fellow church members, and make a point to quietly complement them, Young said.
“And she would do it in a way that felt like you were the only one,” he said.
Carol was an outstanding worker for the church in addition to being a care provider for her family, Cruthird, said.
Her work at the church mainly involved working with children, Young said.
She volunteered at the church’s vacation Bible school, in the nursery, at Sunday school and any other programs that put her in touch with the children, he said.
“She was such an encourager,” Young said.
The family is making funeral arrangements to be held soon at Roseland Park Baptist Church, Young said.
“Any time you’re around that family, you see not only a love that shone among them, but that love reaches out from them to all of those around them,” he said.