Carol Lynn Crocker Hauptman SCC#223038 - Sumter, South Carolina
Member of the Sumter, South Carolina Chapter
June 28, 1963 - October 6, 2007
Carol joined the Southern Cruisers in October 2004 after her husband Bruce met some members on a local charity ride.  After that first ride, Carol was always with Bruce whenever they attended an SCRC ride.  They logged over 7,480 miles together with SCRC.  She served as “First Lady” of the Sumter Chapter while Bruce was First Officer from March 2006 to May 2007.  In addition to the SCRC, Carol was active in her church, Christian Motorcycle Association, Boy Scouts, and countless other activities.  She was also a proud mother to her children, ages 24, 21, and 17.
There were two things you could be sure of when Carol was on a ride – 1) you were going to laugh and have a good time and 2) there would be a lot of pictures taken.  Carol was always catching you with her camera at moments when you least expected it.  Many of our rides would be a lot less memorable if it weren’t for Carol’s shutterbug talents.
On the night of October 6^th, 2007 Bruce and Carol were returning from a full day of riding at the Myrtle Beach Fall Rally.  They were only about 15 miles from home when they struck a deer.  Carol was pronounced dead at the scene.  It was a tragic end to a wonderful life, but as someone said at her funeral “she died doing something she loved very much with someone she loved very much.” 
Carol was a Sumter native and touched a lot of people with her life.  That was apparent when she was alive and was punctuated by a huge funeral on October 14^th.  Over 150 motorcycles and numerous cars took part in the procession.  One firefighter that attended the funeral said he had never seen anything like it.  Chances are he had never met anyone like Carol.

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Personal notes from members and friends at the time of Carol's death

Zeke (Eric Fazekas) - State Officer

As most people who will read this (in the near term at least) know I started the Sumter Chapter.  Bruce and Carol joined at the end of the chapter's first year.  When I first met Carol (Nov 2004) she was limping from a "incident" while she was learning to ride her own bike.  That never really stuck, because over the years I knew them she was always riding with Bruce, but I know she loved every minute of that too.  Even with the limp I knew this was a woman who loved to ride.  Over the years I learned there was a lot more to Carol than just the woman that loved to ride with Bruce.  She certainly was a person to look up to with the way she lived her life.  She touched a lot of people with her involvement in various groups.  The Sumter SCRC is better for having her as a member and I am a better person for having known her.

Angie Todd - Sumter Member (Current "First Lady")