Carol Anne Mutter
Carol Anne Mutter, cherished wife, mother, and friend, left our side to be with the Lord on November 3, 2024. Carol was many things to many people, but above all, she was a dedicated wife and mother, known for her fierce love for her family.
She is survived by her husband Dr. Mitchell L. Mutter, the love of her life, and her three sons, Matthew, Justin, and Andrew, the pride of her life. She also leaves behind her daughters-in-law, Sarah, Kathryn, and Anna Lee, and her grandchildren, Phoebe, Eliza Belle, Wisehart, Nora, John Mitchell, and June. She was preceded in death by her parents, Charlotte and Walter Lavender.
Born on Oct. 22, 1946, in San Antonio, Texas, Carol spent most of her childhood in Tennessee’s oldest town, Jonesborough. She attended Jonesborough High School, where she met Mitchell and began a courtship that would blossom into 55 years of marriage. From her mother she inherited intellectual curiosity and a passion for language and literature – a passion that she would in turn pass on to all of her sons. After beginning her PhD in Art History at Columbia University, she transitioned to Georgetown University Law Center, where she earned her JD. Part of a new generation of women going to law school, she faced familiar challenges and overcame them with characteristic tenacity and poise. As a law professor once said in recommending her for a coveted clerkship on the Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, “Don’t be fooled by the sweater set and southern drawl–she has a mind like a steel trap.” She appreciated the steel trap part, never gave up the sweater sets (or the drawl), and got the clerkship.
Carol went on to have an exemplary and wide-ranging career in the law, ranging from private practice to an academic position as a professor at the University of Tennessee Law School, where for 30 years she was known for her expertise in civil procedure, torts, and insurance, and health law. Later in life Carol was active in local government, and served as mayor of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee for six years. (For more detail about her achievements, see Lookout Mountain Mayor Named a Woman of Distinction.)
Though her professional career was distinguished, her personal life was even more so, and her great joy was her family. Alongside Mitchell, she raised her three sons with tremendous energy, care, and sacrifice. She was invested in all her sons’ pursuits. Rather than miss a single sporting event, she would bring a stack of law-school exams to grade from the sidelines. Looking up from her folding chair, she would pronounce her famous dictum (her only insight from a decidedly unathletic orientation): “Keep your eye on the ball and move your feet!” It was as sound a motto for life as for sports, they would later realize.
The visitation will be held on Friday, Nov. 8, from 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. at the Jane Harris Youth Building of Lookout Mountain Presbyterian Church (301 North Watauga Lane, Lookout Mountain, Tn. 37350), with a funeral service to follow at 12 p.m. in the church’s sanctuary (316 North Bragg Ave., Lookout Mountain, Tn. 37350).
Visit www.heritagebattlefield.com to share condolences with the family.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you consider donating to the Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti (https://www.cnphaiti.org/donate) or Volunteers in Medicine Chattanooga (https://www.vim-chatt.org/donate).
Arrangements are by Heritage Funeral Home & Crematory, Battlefield Parkway.