Carol W. Thomason

    A longtime hospice volunteer and the owner, with her husband, of the Morris Studio photography shop in Southampton, Carol Whitney Thomason died at home in Sag Harbor on Friday. She was 63 and had recently been diagnosed with cancer.

    She was, said her son, Neal James Thomason of Sag Harbor, “a beloved mother, wife, and friend.”

    Mrs. Thomason lived in Sag Harbor for 40 years. She was a member of the Old Whalers Church, where she was an elder and a deacon and served as superintendent of the Sunday school. Her faith and the church community were of great importance to her, her family said.

    She was a hospice volunteer for more than 20 years. She started helping the dying even before East End Hospice, the organization that now organizes such care here, was formed, and she joined that group after its inception.

    At the end, Mr. Thomason said, a hospice volunteer was there to care for his mother.

    Mrs. Thomason was born on Aug. 6, 1947, in Chicago, the daughter of William Whitney and the former Jean Dingee Harold. Her parents both predeceased her. She graduated from Wells College in Aurora, N.Y., where she majored in mathematics.

    She was married in 1972 to Jim Thomason. He survives. The couple worked together at the Morris Studio.

    Mrs. Thomason loved animals and was dedicated to her dogs, which included a pair of dachshunds. She enjoyed traveling and most recently had been on trips to Alaska and the Grand Canyon.

    A wake took place on Monday at the Yardley and Pino Funeral Home in Sag Harbor. The Rev. Mark Phillips officiated at a service on Tuesday at the Old Whalers Church. Burial followed at Oakland Cemetery in Sag Harbor.

    The family has suggested memorial contributions to the Old Whalers Church, P.O. Box 1241, Sag Harbor 11963, or to East End Hospice, P.O. Box 1048, Westhampton Beach 11978.