Carol Ann Cosgrove

Carol Atha Cosgrove, 85, passed away Saturday, July 16, 2022, after a sudden terminal diagnosis of cancer.  She is survived by her three daughters, Didi Cosgrove Hopper of Loganville, Darci Cosgrove of Phoenix, AZ, Dori Cosgrove Gurganus of the home, a sister, Kathryn Atha of Atlanta and a brother, Errol Atha of California. She was proud to have four grandchildren; Gillian, Nick, Brendyn and Liam as well as one great-grandchild, Lucas.

Carol was born in Missouri in 1936 to Ruth Miller Atha and Quincy Atha, both educators. Their move to Lawrence, Kansas, gave Carol some of her fondest memories in middle and high school.  Following her father’s career move to Commerce, Texas, Carol relocated to New Orleans, Louisiana, where she married her first husband, Earl Cosgrove, and soon gave birth to two daughters between living in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.  Job opportunities for Earl had the family move to Charleston, South Carolina, where Carol had their third daughter, and then to Atlanta in 1968 permanently.

The life of a housewife was not a future Carol saw for herself and she decided to go back to college at Georgia State University, graduating with honors in 1972.  She loved the world of politics, becoming president of the Democratic Women of DeKalb and working on Jimmy Carter’s gubernatorial campaign as well as several other local elections. Going through a divorce, she enrolled at Emory Law School, juggling parenthood and running a household.  Upon graduation with a JD in 1975, this impressive new lawyer was immediately hired by the State of Georgia Department of Law in the Attorney General’s office.  Throughout her 25 year career there, Carol argued two cases for the state before the Supreme Court in Washington DC and rose to the rank of Senior Assistant Attorney General.

The love of her life came along when she met Neil Eisen in 1978 and they were married in 1985.  They shared a love of nature photography, classical music, traveling to Greece and Italy, cooking, reading, gardening and relaxing in their North Georgia mountain cabin.  After retiring in 1999, Carol battled two other bouts with cancer before this final diagnosis.  Neil died in 2019 at the age of 90, leaving Carol missing him immensely.  The family is grateful that Carol could pass away quietly in the comfort of her beloved home of 54 years with her Welsh Corgi, Sugar, nearby and her daughters caring for her.  She would be disappointed if it were not mentioned that she was Kris Kristofferson’s most adoring fan.