Carolyn F. Held

Carolyn Held passed away peacefully on Saturday, May 30th, 2026

Carolyn was born September 13, 1933 in Lake Worth, Florida to the late Henry and Jeanne (Marcotte) Friderich. She graduated from the Good Samaritan School of Nursing in Palm Beach, Florida, as a registered nurse. While working for the Palm Beach County Health Department, she met her future husband, Joe Held, a veterinarian with the U.S. Public Health Service. Married 51 years until his death, they raised four children and enjoyed travel throughout the world, including residing in Argentina for a number of years. In 1988, they settled in Arlington, VA where she lived until moving to Lancaster, PA in 2020 to be near family.

She was active in her church and volunteered for many organizations ranging from Mother Teresa’s soup kitchen to the Kennedy Center. She delighted in having people over for dinner parties.

Carolyn embraced her Catholic faith. Treating everyone with equal dignity and respect, she will be remembered for her kindness, selflessness, generosity, and the joy and enthusiasm she found in living each day.

She is survived by her children, Lisa Doseff (David) of Lancaster, PA; Robert Held (Kelly) of Marietta, GA; Leslie Barnett of Mt. Airy, MD, Teresa Johnson (David) of Hughesville, MD, as well as 8 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her brothers Richard Friderich of Lake Worth, FL, Russell Friderich of Bloomington, IL, and sister Sharon Wainwright of West Liberty, KY.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to St. Leo the Great Catholic School of Lancaster, PA or the Alzheimer’s Association.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, June 29, 2026, at St. Leo the Great Catholic Church, 2427 Marietta Ave, Lancaster, PA. Family and friends will be received from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the church before Mass. A private interment will be held at a later date.