Obituary of Carolyn Strickland

Carolyn Atwood Smith Strickland, 92, died July 22, 2016 at Glastonbury Health Center in Glastonbury CT. She was raised in Watertown CT, was married and raised her three children in Middletown CT, and spent her retirement years in her beloved Charlestown RI beach home. Carol is survived by her two daughters and one son; Ellen Strickland McNab and her husband John McNab of Glastonbury CT, Sarah Strickland and her husband Michael Knickerbocker of Colchester CT, and Scott Strickland and his wife Mary LeBlanc of New Providence NJ. Carol is also survived by her 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. She leaves behind her brother Theodore (Ted) Smith and her sister-in-law Martha Smith. She was predeceased by her husband, A. Hall Strickland Jr. of Middletown, her brother Robert Smith, and her sister Shirley Smith Wheeler. Carol was born in Watertown CT on September 2, 1923 to Seymour and Marilla (Atwood) Smith. She graduated from Watertown High School in 1941 and attended Wheaton College during WWII, where she graduated in 1945 with a degree in Mathematics. She worked at Connecticut General insurance company in Hartford CT before meeting her husband Hall. They married in 1953 and settled in Middletown. Her three children arrived in quick succession and Carol was a stay-a-home mom for several years. As her children grew up, Carol worked as a substitute elementary school teacher, a travel agent, a florist in Keser’s Flower Shop, and finally as an administrative assistant at Middlesex Memorial Hospital. While in Middletown she was a member of the local Garden Club, the social group The Westfield Wrens, ESP (an all-female investment club), and volunteered with American Field Service. She loved the outdoors and was master gardener and avid bird watcher. In 1986, she purchased a summer cottage in Charlestown, Rhode Island and in 1989, she supervised the remodeling of the cottage into a year-round home. After moving to Rhode Island full time in 1990, she continued to demonstrate her passion for gardening in both in her own yard and as a volunteer at Wilcox Park in Westerly Rhode Island. She also served as the Beach Committee chairperson for the Quonochontaug East Beach Association. She shared her life at the beach with her friends, children, and grandchildren where many special memories (and many apple pies!) were made. Carol typically spent a winter month in Sanibel Island FL, enjoying shelling and birding, often accompanied by her brother Ted and sister-in-law Martha. Carol loved to travel, and enjoyed trips to, among others; Mexico, Norway, the Dominican Republic, England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, Malta, and Yugoslavia. Demonstrating her characteristic boldness, she traveled to Turkey two weeks after the 9/11 tragedy. As her health declined, Carol returned to Middletown and lived in an assisted living facility at One MacDonough Place and finally moved to Glastonbury Health Care, where she continued to enjoy visits with her family and sitting out in the sun. Whether surrounded by her children, grandchildren, her traveling companions, or while gardening or birding, she spent many happy hours in her Connecticut and Rhode Island homes as well as traveling the world. Carol’s independence, her zest for continued learning, her love of family, and her feisty determination set a wonderful example of a life well lived. She will be missed. Visiting hours will be held at Mulryan Funeral Home, 725 Hebron Avenue in Glastonbury CT on Wednesday July 27th from 5:00 to 7:00 PM. Burial will be at the convenience of the family. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Westerly Library and Wilcox Park (www.westerlylibrary.org) or to an organization of your choice. For online condolences, please visit www.mulryanfh.com