Columbus, Ohio USA
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Carol Solley
1958-2016
By Margaret Marten
September/October 2016 Issue

Carol Solley

Carol Solley, who turned her talent as an artist and passion for color into a vocation as a hair stylist, will be missed by many. She died unexpectedly on July 12, 2016, at her home of natural causes. She was 58.

Solley began her career at Jacob Neal Salon in German Village, later working at Salon Lofts in the Short North from 2006 until 2014. “She painted people’s hair,” said longtime friend and client Amy Fulmer. “Carol was a master at color, doing color – hair color – probably one of the best. I really feel like her knowledge of painting and art transferred over into her work.”

Solley was born in Dallas, Texas. Her family eventually moved to Columbus where she graduated from Upper Arlington High School, later studying psychology at Humboldt State University in California.

She pursued an interest in art during high school and college, taking classes and producing watercolors, many of animals, which she loved. Liz Plotnick-Snay, a Short North resident and devoted client who first met Solley at Jacob Neal Salon, recalls her passion for pets. “I would often bring my dog with me. She was always talking about her dogs and her cats. She was a huge animal person, so I actually just went online and made a donation to Pets Without Parents [in her name].”

Artwork by Carol Solley

Horses were another joy. An avid horseback rider, she regularly attended the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus and was trained in Western style riding. Corgie dogs held a special place in her heart, (she owned one, King) as well as her cats.

She enjoyed rock music, attended concerts, and was a Rolling Stones fan. According to Fulmer, Solley was a lot of fun to be around. “If Carol was going out, it was going to be a good time.”

Plotnick-Snay described her as “bubbly” and (admirably) thin. “Carol was a small lady at five foot two and a hundred pounds with a gigantic personality,” added Fulmer. “She had a big presence in everyone’s life.”

Contributions in Carol's memory may be made to Pets Without Parents via their website www.petswithoutparents.net

© 2016 Short North Gazette, Columbus, Ohio. All rights reserved.

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