Carly Ensley | Woodruff Ensley Foundation

Carly Jayne Ensley

(October 6, 1984 – February 21, 2001)

Life is Short, Art is Long

Welcome to the memorial tribute page for Carly Jayne Ensley, beloved daughter of Dwight.

Carly was an extremely bright, beautiful, and artistically talented young girl. She was a student at Hoover High School in North Canton, Ohio. She was diagnosed with advanced liver cancer in November, 1999, and died in February, 2001 at the age of 16. Her story inspired many people by the memorable way she faced the challenges of her disease with courage, dignity, a zest for life, and always a smile.

Carly Jayne Ensley, Artist

As a gifted young artist, Carly began watercolor painting at the age of 14. Between the ages of 14 and 15, she created 24 lovely paintings. After she was diagnosed with cancer, she was unable to paint due to side effects from chemotherapy. Her wish was to share her artwork with others.

The Memory of a Smile Lasts Forever

Throughout her life, Carly’s smile could light up any room and her vibrant personality was often described as a “ray of sunshine.” All of those who had the privilege of knowing her, including her parents and her sister, and her many classmates at Hoover High School in Canton, Ohio, were inspired by her life and legacy. A scholarship in her honor helped to fund an important end of life study at Kent State University School of Nursing in 2005.

In September, 2000, just a few months before her death, Carly wrote:

“My life is not what every kid dreams of. Cancer is not the most enjoyable of circumstances, but it’s not like I had a choice. Despite that minor setback, my life is for the most part perfect. I have a Chihuahua named Chica, a cat named Daisy, and a sister, Maggie, who is the next best thing to an animal. I love them all very much and each plays an important role in my everyday existence.
I consider myself truly blessed in the fact that I was given two weeks to live last November, and now I am coming upon the one year anniversary of the day I found out I had cancer. Beating down the disease is a personal triumph in my life and it has shaped who I am and why I am the way I am. I enjoy life to its fullest and would never trade it for a million dollars.”