Carole Elizabeth Ferguson Lang, 80, passed away peacefully in her sleep on November 16, 2023, at Redstone Village, Huntsville, AL. She was born in Winston-Salem, NC on May 23, 1943, to parents Carroll Corbin Ferguson and Ruby Westmoreland Ferguson.
She is survived by her loving husband of over 52 years, Albert George Lang; her brother, C. Randolph Ferguson; and sister-in-law Susan Seese (Mrs. William Seese). Also surviving are a number of cousins, their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and many long-time friends, including Tex and Theresa Longcor and Fran Morgan-Hopkins. Carole met Al while she was teaching in Hampton, VA and he was stationed at Fort Eustis in the Army.
Carole grew up in Rural Hall, NC where she was a talented pianist, frequently playing in church, and singing in the Rural Hall Moravian Church choir. She graduated from Northwest High School in Forsyth County, NC in 1961 and then from Appalachian State University in 1965 with dual bachelor’s degrees in education and mathematics. She graduated from the Department of Defense Program Management Course at Fort Belvoir. Later she earned her master’s degree in business administration from the Florida Institute of Technology. After a number of years teaching math in high school in Virginia, Maryland, Kansas and Missouri as she accompanied Al as he advanced in his Army career, she became a civil servant serving in a number of important assignments. Initially she worked for the Air Force Defense Mapping Agency assisting in the digitalization of the globe for Cruise Missile System. Then she worked in Aviation Research Development Command of the United States Army as an operational research analyst. Her assignments for the Army included working on the development team for the Comanche Helicopter program, in the executive office for aviation as a cost analyst expert, and prior to retirement as the chief budgeting analyst for the Apache Helicopter program. She worked for the government for 31 years until she retired, initially in St. Louis and for the last 12 years in Huntsville. Upon her retirement from the Army, she was awarded the Commander’s Award for Civilian Service, an Official Commendation from the US Army, and was awarded the Order of St. Michael for “outstanding contributions to the community of Army Aviation”.
Carole enjoyed life, socializing with friends, traveling, which she and her husband did extensively with friends both in the US and abroad, and was an avid sports fan, being a long-time supporter of the St. Louis Cardinals and the University of North Carolina Tar Heels. She very much enjoyed witnessing the Cardinals win several World Series with her husband and attending four final four basketball tournaments with her brother and witnessing the Tar Heels win two national basketball championships. As a high school teacher, she enjoyed being the sponsor of her high school cheerleading squad. After retirement, for a number of years she was a member and treasurer of the Pilot Club of Huntsville and was a volunteer for Project Life Saver.
A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, November 28, 2023, in the Club Room at Redstone Village, 12000 Turnmeyer Drive, Huntsville, AL 35803. Interment will be scheduled later.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any remembrances be sent to Rural Hall Moravian Church, 7939 Broad Street, Rural Hall, NC 27045, or to the charity of your choice.
