When Carol Quinn talks about Bermuda Run, she does not describe it simply as the place where she has lived. She talks about people, traditions, friendships and the ways neighbors have shown up for one another over more than five decades.

Carol was born in Leaksville, now Eden, North Carolina. She and her husband, Charlie, came to Bermuda Run 53 years ago, when the community was still very new. Carol remembers their home as only about the 13th house in the neighborhood.

There were only a small number of families then, and neighbors quickly became friends. Bridge groups formed, holiday meals became traditions, and the neighborhood began to feel like an extended family.

For Carol, being part of a community has always meant contributing to it.

One of the most enduring commitments in her life has been Clemmons Moravian Church, where she has been part of the church family for approximately 50 years. Carol has served as an elder, participated in Synod, taught Sunday school, served as nursery coordinator for 20 years, and mentored young girls preparing for confirmation.

Her civic involvement has been just as extensive. Carol joined the Bermuda Run Garden Club in 1988 and served as president twice. She has also supported the Jerry Long YMCA, the Davie Community Foundation, Habitat for Humanity and other local organizations.

For Carol, the common denominator has never been a title. It has been the opportunity to help and bring people together.

That commitment is something Becky Cook has witnessed for decades. She describes Carol as an excellent organizer and planner who gives “100% commitment” to every group she serves.

“She never stops!” Becky says. “She must have more than 24 hours in her day.”

Carol also helped shape the community itself, serving on an early planning committee as Bermuda Run developed into a town.

She spent 16 years helping with the Crosby golf tournament, working with others, meeting celebrities and helping plan an event that became part of the area’s history.

Yet many of Carol’s favorite memories are smaller traditions that endure because people keep choosing to gather: bridge, a long-running Monday stitch group, Bunco friends, garden club projects and holiday celebrations.

Ask Carol what she is most grateful for after 53 years in Bermuda Run and her answer comes back to one thing: wonderful friendships.

One of those friendships is with Becky Cook, a fellow member of Clemmons Moravian Church and now Carol’s Bermuda Village neighbor. Becky has known Carol and her family for more than 50 years and points to another of Carol’s gifts: hospitality.

“Carol would never tell you what a great hostess she is,” Becky says. “Her lovely home is always open to family, friends and newcomers.”

That instinct for connection followed Carol to Bermuda Village. Since moving there eight years ago, she has served on community boards and created a monthly “Table of Six,” bringing different people together for dinner to build new friendships.

Community has kept Carol grounded, but travel has expanded her world. She and Charlie traveled across the globe, with the Holy Land remaining a favorite.

After Charlie passed away four years ago, Carol decided to keep traveling. Last year brought Iceland; this year, Japan. Her plans already include more adventures with friends.

Carol’s sister, Linda P. Workman, says two qualities have defined Carol throughout her life: a positive attitude and a determination to embrace every opportunity.

“The two main qualities that I most admire about Carol are that she consistently has a positive attitude and she lives life to the fullest,” Linda says.

Carol’s story is, in many ways, the story of Bermuda Run itself—from a small neighborhood where only a few families knew everyone on the street to a thriving community that continues to grow.

Her move to Bermuda Village did not mean leaving behind the people and organizations that had shaped her life; it simply added another community to the one she already loved.

For more than half a century, Carol Quinn has served, raised money, planted gardens, taught children, supported charities, planned events, welcomed neighbors, traveled the world and kept old friendships alive while continually making new ones.

For Becky, Carol’s legacy is even more personal. “Everyone should have a Carol in their life,” she says. “I surely treasure mine.”

And perhaps that is the simplest way to understand her 53 years in Bermuda Run: Carol has never merely lived in a community. She has helped build one.