Carolyn Goss

Carolyn Ruth Goss was born on January 17, 1950, to the late Louis Charles Gilmer and Ruth Wilson- Gilmer. She departed this life on August 6, 2026, surrounded by the love of a family who will miss her more than words can say. Carolyn attended EE Butler High School. She worked at Potter and Brunsfield, NOK, and Harris Calarific before retiring and enjoying life on her own time. Anybody who knew Carolyn knew she had a personality all her own. She was strong, independent, stylish, outspoken, and she would tell you exactly how she felt. You never had to guess where you stood with her. She could be funny without even trying, and she always had something to say. Carolyn loved to shop. In the family, she was the Receipt and Discount Queen. She knew a good deal when she saw one, and she had hundreds of receipts to prove it. She kept them because you never knew what might need to go back, and Carolyn was always ready. Clothes, shoes, jewelry, cleaning supplies, things for the house, it did not matter. If it was on sale, Carolyn was looking. And most of the time, she was not just shopping for herself. She was always picking up something for somebody else. She also took pride in herself. Carolyn went to the gym every morning and made staying active part of her everyday life. She loved to travel, go to concerts, dance, listen to music, and get dressed up. Prince was one of her favorites, and everybody knew how much she loved purple. She even had a whole purple room in her house. More than anything, Carolyn loved her family. She shared 56 years with her husband, Jerry "Jip" Goss. After that many years together, they had a life full of memories, routines, laughter, phone calls, disagreements, and love. If they were not together, they were probably on the phone with each other. Carolyn loved her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, siblings, nieces, nephews, and the rest of her family deeply. She was proud of them and loved telling people about what they were doing. If you did something good, Carolyn was going to make sure somebody heard about it. She never stopped missing the people who went before her, especially her daughter Sharon and her brother Jitter. She talked about them, remembered them, and carried them with her through the years. Carolyn was preceded in death by her grandparents, Flora Wilson and Ludia Jarrett Gilmer; her parents, L.C. Gilmer and Ruth Wilson Gilmer; her daughter, Sharon Gilmer; her brothers, Ralph "Jitter" Gilmer and Edward Gilmer; her niece Michelle Riley; her nephew, Hiram "Jay" Hepburn; her daughter in law, Kim Collins (Gilmer); and her dear friends, Gail Reed, Gary Westbrook, and Elbert "Sambo" Cheeks. She leaves to cherish her memory her devoted husband, Jerry "Jip" Goss Sr.; her children, Tyrron "Tyrone" Gilmer and Jerry "JJ" (Tracy) Goss Jr.; and her honorary child, Messiah Lewis. Her surviving siblings include her sisters, Mary Alice (John) Harris of Atlanta, Georgia; Diane (Hiriam) Hepburn; Doris (Allen) Shelton; Delores Gilmer; Vera Gilmer; Ethel Gilmer; and Angela Gilmer of Leesburg, Florida;and her brothers, Alvin (Michelle) Gilmer, Tony Gilmer, and L.C. "Chico" Gilmer Jr. of Leesburg, Florida. She also leaves to cherish her memory her grandchildren, Tashenna Collins, Joshua Goss, and Darrien Ingram, all of Gainesville, Georgia; her great grandchildren, Mya Collins, Elias (Keriah) Ballard, Caysen Goss, Josiah Ballard, Canaan Goss, Cashton Goss, and Kaiden Goss; her dearest friends, Nancy Moore, Brenda Daniel, Nellie Webb, Carolyn Bulloch, and Vickie Harrison-Sutton; and a host of nieces, nephews, relatives, friends, and loved ones. She also leaves behind many people throughout Gainesville who knew and loved her. There are so many little things that will always bring Carolyn back to mind. A Prince song. The color purple. Somebody heading to the gym early in the morning. A concert. A trip. A really good sale. And especially those hundreds of receipts she kept because, according to Carolyn, you just never knew when you might need one. We can only imagine Carolyn in heaven, back with everyone she missed, dressed up and already looking for a sale. We just hope heaven has plenty of stores, because she came ready to shop. The return counters down here can finally get a break, and maybe the rest of us can finally find something on the sale rack. She spent years missing Sharon, Jitter, and so many others she loved. Now we find comfort in believing she is with them again. Carolyn was loved, and she knew how to love her people right back. She gave us plenty to laugh about, plenty to remember, and plenty of stories that will be told for years to come. Carolyn will be deeply missed and forever loved.

Carolyn Goss

January 17, 1950 - August 6, 2026