Carol T. Nutt

Carol T. Nutt, of Alexandria, Virginia, died peacefully at her home on June 2, 2026. She was 86 years old. She was a beloved mother, wife, sister, grandmother, aunt, and friend who will be missed by all who knew her. Carol Nutt was born Carol Damaris Thompson on June 25, 1939, in Mobile, Alabama. She was the youngest of the four Thompson sisters, all women of great strength and integrity. In the late 1950s, she attended the University of Arkansas where she met Robert Nutt (Rob), the man who would become her husband for the next six decades. The two fell in love and while planning their wedding in 1960, decided to elope instead. As the story goes, the young couple slipped over the border into Oklahoma where they were married by a Justice of the Peace during their last year at school. When Rob decided to pursue law school at U of A, Carol taught middle school English and their children grew up hearing funny stories of Dad delivering pizzas at night to make ends meet and bringing home extra pizza for dinner when they were just starting out. In 1962, law degree in hand, Rob joined the U.S. Army, serving in the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps, and Carol began the next phase of life as a military spouse. Between 1963 and 1968, she gave birth to their three children, Mitchell Eric Nutt, Chandra Carol Nutt (Branham) and Lauren Suzanne Nutt (Aigner), and the motherhood phase commenced. While in the Army, the Nutts lived in Charlottesville, VA; Ft. Huachuca, AZ; Stuttgart, Germany; Woodbridge, VA; Huntsville, AL; Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Charlottesville (again); and finally, Alexandria, VA, where they retired and established their permanent home. Throughout many moves, Carol was strong and steadfast, packing, moving, and setting up house in new places with three kids in tow. She always supported her kids and could become a protective mama-bear when the situation called for it. However, she also made time to develop lasting friendships with people she met along the way; and our family has fond memories of our parents laughing and joking with their many lifelong friends. Carol valued education, and while living in Alexandria in the early 1980s, she went back to school for a paralegal certificate. She worked at several different companies, but ultimately, she and Rob wanted to travel and see parts of the world they had not visited. They were cruise enthusiasts who traveled near and far – too many destinations to name. The list covers many continents. Carol was skilled at needlework, and created many beautiful needlepoint and cross-stitched masterpieces, including some very complex works of art, all beautifully framed, as well as baby blankets, pillow coverings and more. She could always be found with a project in her hands. She was also an avid reader, typically reading multiple books at one time –often while lying on a chair in her bathing suit, soaking up the sun. People who got to know Carol Nutt knew that she had a quick wit and could bring down the house when she was in the mood. She often said that Rob was the funny one, but she was hilarious, witty and fun. Carol is preceded in death by her husband, Col. (Ret.) Robert Mitchell Nutt, and her three older sisters, Virginia Ann (“Toady”) Sellers, Martha Alice (“Sissy”) Donoghue, and Mary Luella (“Polly”) Cherry. She is survived by her three children, Mitchell Eric Nutt (Jamie), Chandra Nutt Branham (Mike, deceased), Lauren Nutt Aigner (Patrick); two grandchildren, Ryan Mitchell Nutt and Madeline Elisabeth Nutt; and numerous nieces and nephews. Carol had some health challenges later in life and was a breast cancer survivor and a stroke survivor. She spent the last eight years living at Sunrise Assisted Living in Alexandria, where she was known as “Mama Nutt.” She became a legend there and was loved and cared for by caregivers and staff who became friends and family. We will be forever grateful. Carol will be remembered with love, compassion, humor and grace, and will be missed daily by those who knew and loved her. No services are planned at this time. When the time is right, Carol will join her husband at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, VA. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.

Tributes

Carol T. Nutt

June 25, 1939 - June 2, 2026