On March 13, 2024, Carolyn Anne Wood Boatner passed away at the age of 63.
Carolyn, a long-time resident of Signal Mountain, was many things: a loving mother, a kind and generous friend, a beloved practice manager at Erlanger Hospital, a masterful crafter, a beautiful singer, and so much more.
Carolyn loved to laugh. She was witty, kind, and had a gift for friendship. She loathed intentional ignorance, cruelty, and gardening. She was a skilled knitter and quilter. Her ideal afternoon would be spent outside, listening to an audiobook, with a knitting project in her hands and her precious dog, Penny, on her lap.
Born September 2, 1960, Carolyn was raised in Fairfax, Virginia, the daughter of Anne and Roland Wood. She was active at Truro Episcopal Church, was a candy striper at Fairfax Hospital, and while still a teenager, became a licensed paramedic. After graduating from high school and while living in Kensington, MD with foster parents Salley and Jeffrey Shannon, she took night classes at the University of Maryland, College Park. By day, Carolyn was, in turn, a paramedic, a bank teller and the manager of a law office. She graduated magna cum laude with a perfect 4.0 GPA.
Carolyn had a warm, welcoming, and generous spirit. She kept an open-door policy: there was always room at the table and space on the couch (and, of course, a beautiful handmade quilt) for her friends, her children, her friends’ children, her children’s friends—all were welcome. Carolyn leaves behind four children, Anne, Sarah, John, and Adam, and one grandchild, Tyler. In addition to her four children, whom she loved fiercely, Carolyn was a maternal figure to many of her children’s friends, earning her the nickname “Mama B.”
The family wishes to thank Travis Smith of Hospice of Chattanooga, and friend Vicki Swisher, often by Carolyn’s side in her last months. Please direct memorial contributions to Metropolitan Ministries, 4001 Rossville Blvd., Chattanooga, Tn. 37407 or the Chattanooga Free Store, 1701 Dodson Ave., Suite C, Chattanooga, Tn. 37406. A celebration of Carolyn’s life will be held on April 13, 2024, at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church on Signal Mountain at 2:30 p.m. All are welcome.