Carolyn R. Gardiner

Carolyn Matheson Gardiner, 85, of North Kingstown, passed away peacefully on Monday, October 20, 2025 at the South Kingstown Nursing & Rehabilitation Center. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, she was the daughter of the late Malcolm and Myrtis Matheson. She is survived by her husband, Leigh Gardiner, and her son James Gardiner.

Carolyn's celebrated life was one of selfless impact. She inspired the youth of North Kingstown as a school teacher for many years before settling into a career that she was perhaps best known for, a clerk at Earnshaw's Drug in downtown Wickford. Here she would hold court and become an integral part of the charm that is Wickford Village.

For 38 years and changing business landscapes, Carolyn was the one constant with her smile and soft demeanor greeting everyone who walked into 63 Brown Street. As legend has it, all the town dogs would never just walk by the store entrance. Instead, they would activate the sliding glass doors taking their owners inside - for it was there that "Auntie Carol" had a secret stash of dog biscuits at the ready. To know Wickford and its charm was to know Carolyn and her soul.

Carolyn's burial will be private.