Obituaries

Carie Graves Carie Graves, Spring Green, was a loving mother, daughter, sister, aunt, coach, mentor and friend. She was also a legend in women’s rowing, and a two-time Olympic medalist in the sport. Surrounded by her family, Carie passed away from complications of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease on Sunday, December 19, 2021. She was 68. Tall and powerful, Carie was driven to work hard, do the right thing and lead by example. She was aware that she could be intimidating walking into a room, so she would always break the ice with her warmth and boisterous laugh. In tributes written by friends, teammates, and the athletes she coached, Carie is remembered as a thoughtful, kind, caring and fun person who gave 100 percent in every endeavor. Whether it was training, competing, cooking, baking bread, knitting, gardening, dancing, singing, reading or her love for her son, family and friends, Carie was all in. Born to Robert (deceased) and Derry Graves on June 27, 1953, in Madison, Carie was the first of five children. Her work ethic and competitive nature developed early, bailing hay and doing chores on the family farm, where she was known by her siblings as “big bossy.” She is survived by her mother Derry; son Ben; sisters Leslie (Eric), Tia (Greg), Alison (Bill), brother Ross (Ann); and many beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, friends, coaches, teammates and the athletes she coached. After graduating from high school, working odd jobs and spending a summer hitchhiking around Europe, Carie went to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she joined the women’s rowing team in the fall of 1973. In the spring of 1975, the team won the first-ever national championship for a U.W. women’s team. That summer she stroked the remarkable U.S. women’s eight crew that earned a silver medal at the 1975 World Championships in England — the event that secured U.S. women’s rowing a place on the world stage and was immortalized in Daniel Boyne’s book, The Red Rose Crew.  For the next 40 years, the farm girl from Spring Green built a legacy in the sport like few others. Carie’s athletic highlights include 11 years as an international competitor, culminating in her selection to three U.S. Olympic rowing teams and four U.S. National Teams. As a member of the U.S. women’s eight, she captured a bronze medal in the 1976 Olympics and a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics. The U.S. Olympic Committee honored her as Rowing Female Athlete of the Year in both 1981 and 1984. She was a two-time inductee into the National Rowing Foundation Hall of fame and the first female athlete inducted in the Wisconsin Athletics Hall of Fame. She was named by the American Rowers Almanac as “One of the Century’s 10 Most Notable People in American Rowing.” The almanac noted: “She was the first to show that women could be, and were, really tough competitors. The men had their awesome role models. With Carie Graves, the women had their own awesome competitor.” After her rowing career, Carie served as the head coach at Harvard/Radcliffe. She completed her master’s degree in education at Harvard University in 1985. She then spent 10 years as the head coach of women’s rowing at Northeastern University in Boston. In 1998 she moved to Austin, Texas, and launched the women’s rowing program at the University of Texas, where she remained head coach for 16 years. For those she coached, she is remembered for not just wanting her athletes to be the best rowers they could be, but for wanting them to be the best people they could be. When she retired from Texas in 2014, Carie came home to live in Wisconsin, just five miles from her childhood home. A memorial service for family and friends will be held in Spring Green. Details for the gathering will be shared at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be directed to the Initiative to End Alzheimer’s or Wisconsin Women’s Rowing: UW Foundation, the Initiative to End Alzheimer’s Greatest Needs Fund, US Bank Lockbox 78807 Milwaukee, WI 53278 or online at  supportuw.org/giveto/endalzheimers or Wisconsin Women’s Rowing, Kellner Hall, Attn: Development, 1440 Monroe St., Madison, WI 53711 or online at https://bit.ly/3Jhb5Yh Online condolences available at www.staffordfuneralhomes.com.  The Richardson-Stafford Funeral Home in Spring Green is assisting the family with the arrangements.