Syble Balentine Carson

Syble Balentine Carson of Charlotte, North Carolina, passed away on February 27, 2026. Born on April 9, 1939, she was the oldest child of LW and Marilee Balentine. She grew up in Charlotte, graduated from Central High School, and went on to attend the University of Arkansas and study abroad in Italy.

Syble built successful careers in banking, advertising, and real estate. She volunteered at hospitals including Naval Station Great Lakes Hospital and Charlotte Rehab Hospital, and she served as a mentor to children in the Seigle Avenue community. In 1970, she married the love of her life, Jim Carson. They shared 45 years of marriage until his death in 2015. Together they lived in Charlotte and Raleigh, traveling across North Carolina during Jim’s service in the state House of Representatives, as a judge on the state Court of Appeals, and as North Carolina’s attorney general. Syble was a member of the Sir Walter Cabinet.

A woman of deep faith, Syble was a devoted member of Christ Episcopal Church, where she served on the vestry, as a lay minister at Southminster, and as a leader in Episcopal Church Women. She authored and delivered many homilies, devotions, and prayers over the years. She and Jim enjoyed traveling from Alaska to the Florida Keys. An accomplished fisherwoman, she achieved a Grand Slam by catching a tarpon, permit, and bonefish in a single day. She was also an active member of Charlotte Country Club and a spirited presence on the tennis courts. Her service extended to the Charlotte Museum of History board of trustees, the Halifax Convention Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, the Charlotte Junior League, and her social community at 800 Cherokee.

Syble was loyal, generous, stylish, and vivacious. She cherished her family and held a deep love for her wide circle of friends from all stages of her life. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Jim, and her brother-in-law Don Swofford. She is survived by her daughter Page Carson Rogers (Rick) of Charlotte; stepdaughters Christy Carson Evans (Bruce) of Arlington, Virginia, and Read Carson Van de Water (Mark) of Warrenton, Virginia; granddaughters Carson Rogers Peacock (Bryce) of Charlotte and Mary Summers Rogers Plepler (Jonny) of Washington, D.C.; great-granddaughter Georgia Peacock; sister Selina Balentine Swofford and brother Leonard Balentine (Linda) of Charlotte; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins.