Beloved mother, grandmother and sister died Monday March 1, 2021 of respiratory illness. Her death was preceded by her husband William Branch, daughter Carol Branch, parents Alberta and Edward Duffy, sister Donna Duffy and brother Captain Danny Duffy.

She is survived by sisters Elaine Miller, Kathleen and Melanie Duffy and brother Timothy Duffy, her children Bridget Wilson, Patricia Cline, Michael Branch, Mary Gonzalez, Lorraine Orozco, William Branch and James Branch, 16 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

She was a devout Catholic, a member of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church and attended Mass there as well as her former parish Immaculate Conception and nearby Our Lady of the Lakes Catholic Churches. Her children were brought up with the Catholic faith, receiving the sacraments.

She was born in Detroit Michigan on January 21, 1937. Her early childhood years were spent in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Her family moved to Hialeah, Florida in the mid1950s.She went to St. Mary’s Catholic School but graduated early from Miami Edison High School. She met William Branch in 1955 and they married 6 months later. They quickly started a family and had eight children.

Their love of family was ingrained in their children. Every Sunday the family united for Sunday dinner. Carlene could feed a small army. Her cooking was loved by all, especially her salad! She was skilled at sewing and crochet, making many of the children’s clothes, scarfs, hats and blankets. She loved to read and do crossword puzzles.

Holidays were especially wonderful. She always decorated and celebrated the holidays. Christmas and Easter were celebrated both at church and with candy and toys. Her traditional meals were enjoyed by many, especially Thanksgiving. She cooked the Thanksgiving meal from scratch from the turkey to the pies. All the family and extended family gathered at her home every year. Even the leftovers were special. She made homemade noodles for turkey noodle soup!

She loved taking the kids to the beach. In the summer, she took them to the municipal pool and the movies. She loved the Miami Marlins baseball team. She kept statistics and followed every game.

When she worked she was a print press operator for Eastern Airlines and the Green House of Printing. In her 50’s she became a postal carrier, a job she loved and retired from. After retirement, she and Bill traveled. After Bill died, she traveled with her children. She joined Silver Sneakers and a bible study group. She will be missed by all.

The family will be having a Graveside Inurnment service at Our Lady of Mercy Cemetery on March 17, 2021 at 2 PM