Carol Shaw Wood-Paterson

Shaw died on October 1, 2025, at the age of 69, in Wilson. She was a person of profound empathy, great sense of humor, and genuinely loved people. She had incredible loving friends throughout her life, and she always looked out for others. Shaw was also highly intelligent, practical, and organized, always looking for ways to better the lives of those she cared for. She was a stimulating conversationalist and a great person to talk with. During her life she was an athlete and musician. And she loved anything solar, particularly solar cooking, which she did regularly.

Shaw received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Pharmacy from Medical College of Virginia in 1979 and practiced hospital pharmacy for twenty years in Michigan and Pennsylvania. During her time as a student at Virginia Tech, she was a member of the Marching Virginians, playing saxophone. She played bells with numerous groups in Winchester, Virginia and with the Bells Group at First Presbyterian Church in Wilson. She briefly sang in the choir at Opequon Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Virginia. Shaw's athletics were apparent her entire life and she was on the swim team and on the first girls basketball team at Blacksburg High School in 1973 in Virginia. During her life, Shaw swam, rode her bike, played tennis, racquetball, pickleball, and even kicked a soccer ball around with her son. She also loved playing golf, usually shooting in the 90s. 

Outside of her career, musical, and athletic endeavors, Shaw was a guiding force through life for her son and husband. Always a perceptive mother and wife and never anything but sincere in her words. Throughout her life, Shaw never lost the desire to learn. She maintained her pharmacy license. She was always up to trying or learning new things, such as the game GO, pickleball, new technologies, or new food. And she was an avid New York Times reader. For the past fourteen years, Shaw worked part-time at Kohl’s, eleven of those years in Greenville. She liked the work but more importantly, she loved and cared about the people she worked with. 

Shaw is survived by her husband, Drew; son, Andrew; brother, Hank and sister-in-law, Linda; sister, Beth, sister-in-law Jinny and brother-in-law, Rich, brother-in-law John, and numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews and lifelong friends. She is sorely missed by all and will be remembered as the wonderful person she was.

Shaw requested no service to be performed in her honor. However, if any are interested in donating funds in her name, please send them to one of the following organizations: AFSP - https://afsp.org or 988 Lifeline - https://988lifeline.org/donate/

Condolences directed to Joyner’s Funeral Home and Crematory at www.joyners.net.