Carolyn Ann Berry is a retired educator, a grandmother on-the-go, and a keeper of meaningful traditions. With her grandchildren by her side, she continues a legacy she and her late husband, Gary, began when their three children were young: creating experiences and adventures that become memories meant to last a lifetime.
The tradition she built with her family
Gary and Carolyn Ann taught their children to be self-sufficient. By twelve, each child could cook, bake, and do laundry—skills rooted in independence and pride. But their family life wasn’t just chores. It included: reading together, making crafts, playing board games, visiting extended family, and road trips—their favorite classroom. Those adventures helped their children experience firsthand what they were studying in history, geography, and science.
Carolyn Ann’s Professional Journey
Carolyn Ann began her career in public relations for healthcare organizations in Virginia, working with local, national, and international media on several high-profile medical issues—including the first umbilical-cord recovery of stem cells in the United States. After leaving that role, she transitioned into writing and editing. She worked as a freelance writer for newspapers and magazines and edited three regional publications.
Photography always has been her avocation; she volunteered to photograph events at a local elementary school—images she shared at monthly PTA meetings. Fate stepped in, and about a year later, she began teaching high school English.
When an opportunity arose to work with students with severe disabilities, Carolyn Ann remembered her volunteer experience as a high school camp counselor with the Muscular Dystrophy Association—and she accepted the position. She spent seven remarkable years in that classroom before moving into other roles.
Carolyn Ann retired in 2018, choosing to do what matters most: spending time with her grandchildren and writing books.
Her Grandmother Gift Philosophy
Carolyn Ann's belief that children need adventures more than toy-filled rooms shaped her gift-giving approach. Every Christmas, she writes personalized books for her grandchildren. The 2018 book includes road-trip stories she intends to share with them before each turns 16. Her goal is to leave a legacy of love—so when she's a memory, her grandchildren will feel her warmth and connection through the pages of her stories and their shared adventures. She is now writing a book for other grandparents: Adventures with Grammy: Sixteen Unforgettable Experiences to Share with Your Grandchildren (work in progress). It will launch Fall 2026.
Education
Carolyn Ann earned a bachelor degree in communications, with a concentration in print journalism, from Virginia Wesleyan College (now Virginia Wesleyan University) and a master degree in education from Old Dominion University
Follow these links to learn more:
https://www.instagram.com/adventureswithgrammy
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