The Fountain Inn, South Carolina community is mourning the death of Carol Mongerson Gilley, a beloved business owner, community advocate, and family matriarch who passed away on April 3, 2026, at the age of 73.
Born in Evanston, Illinois, in February 1953, Carol’s life carried her across multiple places and experiences. She grew up between Park Ridge, Illinois and Elyria, Ohio, later attending DePauw University in Indiana, where she earned a degree in French. After college, she pursued a dream career as a flight attendant with United Airlines, a role that reflected her curiosity and openness to the world.
She married Kyle Gilley in June 1979 and went on to raise three sons while living in Columbia, Maryland, Fountain Inn, South Carolina, and even Clermont, France. Wherever she lived, she embedded herself into the community, not passively, but actively shaping it.
In Fountain Inn, Carol became widely known as the founder of The Yum-Yum Snack Shop & Café, a place that wasn’t just a business but a local gathering point. Her impact extended far beyond that. She played a role in improving local infrastructure, helped bring city water to the area, supported the creation of Cedar Falls Park, co-founded the Fork Shoals Historical Society, and contributed to community safety initiatives like Crime Watch. She was also involved in Citizens for Quality Rural Living, consistently advocating for the area she called home.
At the center of everything was her family. She is survived by her husband Kyle, her sons Matthew, Patrick, and Lee, and eight grandchildren who knew her as “NeNe,” a name tied to joy, warmth, and making everyday moments feel special.
Her family plans to honor her life in a way that fits who she was, by planting flowers across their farm, from Rock Creek to the Yum-Yum Snack Shop, along with an oak tree at the center of a circle of trees dedicated to her grandchildren. It’s the kind of tribute that mirrors how she lived, creating, nurturing, and leaving things more beautiful than she found them.
Carol Mongerson Gilley’s obituary reflects a life defined by action, creativity, and deep community roots. Not just someone who lived in a place, but someone who quietly made it better.