Carol Lee Busch

Carol Lee Harris Busch, 82, of Lake Park, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at The Orchard. She was born to the late Emory and Rosemary Harris on December 13, 1942, in Key West, Florida. Carol became a beloved member of the Valdosta community the moment she arrived in 1968. Her kindness, selflessness, and love reached every corner of her life and the lives of those around her. As an administrator at Valdosta High School for many years, she helped raise thousands of our community’s children, always ready to answer any question or help any way she knew how. She was a volunteer with the Break Bread Program at First Presbyterian Church, helping to feed the community’s most vulnerable, and served as treasurer for the Women’s Circle. She was devoted to her faith, and showed it each day in her compassion, her generosity, and her love and care for those who needed it most. She was a loving wife to husband Trent Busch for over 65 years. She worked odd jobs to help support the family while he pursued a Ph.D in English and provided simple words of encouragement when he searched for the perfect final line of a poem or tried to get the finishing touches on a woodworking project. Every day she spent with him filled his life with love, patience, and understanding at every turn. She was a loving mother to her two children, Laura and Bret, supporting them every step of their lives, even when it came from a distance. Her unwavering support and unconditional love will always be treasured by each of them. Carol made a warm and welcoming home for her children, and later her granddaughter. Every corner was carefully decorated to welcome all who entered, and each holiday was made special, whether by the meticulous display of the Christmas village each year or the perfect roasted potatoes served at Easter. The lives of her and her family were preserved in the photo albums she took care in assembling, and in every award, ribbon, and graduation gown she preserved for safekeeping. Carol was an artistic woman, and loved creating fabric art for her family, from knitting to sewing handmade dresses for her granddaughter. She was an avid reader and was well-traveled, having followed her husband across the country while he studied and taught, and visited Ireland and Germany with friends and family. Anyone who met Carol for even a moment remarked what a kind and caring woman she was. She never had a harsh word to say about anyone she met, because she saw the good in everyone. She was a blessing to her family and her community, and she will be missed by all who knew her. Along with her parents, she is preceded in death by her brother, Jack Harris, of Brooksville, Florida.
She is survived by her loving and devoted husband, Trent Busch of Valdosta, Georgia; her sister, Terry Sartor and brother, David Harris, of Brooksville, Florida; her daughter, Laura Carper and her husband Jim of Neptune Beach, Florida; her son, Bret Busch and his husband, Jody of Atlanta, Georgia; and her granddaughter, Peyton Busch Carper of Lake Park, Georgia.
A memorial service will be held at 6:00 PM, Saturday, July 19, 2025, in the Valdosta Chapel of Music Funeral Services. Kind words and expressions of sympathy can be left for the family at www.musicfuneralservices.com . The Busch family is being served by the professional and caring staff of Music Funeral Services of Valdosta.