Obituary of Carolyn Lorraine Rodwell

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Obituary

Carolyn Lorraine Rodwell, a loving mother of 5, grandmother of 8, and great grandmother of 2 passed away at her home of 58 years surrounded by her family on Saturday morning, December 5, 2020.  She was 89 years old.  Carolyn was born in Boston. She was the daughter of Vincent and Rose Guaragna.  She grew up in South Boston during a time when everyone knew your name and no one needed to lock their doors.  She married John Rodwell and they eventually settled in Burlington to raise their 5 children in 1962.  Although she had been gone from “Southie” for almost 6 decades, it always held a special place in her heart.  If raising 5 very active children wasn’t easy enough, Carolyn worked for many years as the Dining Room Manager at the Jolly Porpoise Restaurant in the Lord Bedford Hotel in Bedford, MA.  She later worked as a hostess at Burlington’s premier restaurant of the day, the Café Escadrille. 

Carolyn was truly a special woman.  She never forgot her roots, she was a woman of style, never overlooked friends, and embraced life.  She never went out of her house unless her appearance was perfect.  Her hairdresser and manicurist were like extended family. She had a great eye for fashion, and loved to shop for the latest styles and enjoyed the rush of finding a bargain. She often spoke about the sales at Filene’s Basement in downtown Boston as a young girl.

Carolyn had a passion for card games. One of Carolyn’s many traditions was a weekly Poker game with some of her closest friends on Friday nights. Fridays were off limits to anything else in life! Along with poker; blackjack, cribbage, and rummy were all played at the kitchen table by many in the Rodwell family, most of whom were taught by Carolyn. Around that same table were countless Sunday family dinners, birthdays, and holiday celebrations. All were always welcome. These are just some of the qualities and traits that made her so special, but it was her unwavering love and steadfast devotion to her family that was her most important and treasured qualities.

Carolyn is the beloved wife of the late John Rodwell. She is the loving mother of Rosanne Lennartson of Burlington & her late husband Roger, Jimmy of Burlington, John of Burlington, Matthew & his wife Tes of Fountain Hills, AZ, and Kimberly Pasciuto & her husband Michael of Burlington. She is the sister of Patricia Herda of Burlington, the late Vennie Cameron, and Louis Guaragna.  She is the proud grandmother of Courtney Lennartson, Kendra Rowe, Kevin, Anthony, Cam, & Ethan Rodwell, and Sabrina & Mikey Pasciuto and great grandmother of Gavin Lennartson and Brooke Farrell. 

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Malachy Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org , 99 Bedford St., Burlington on Wednesday, Dec. 9 at noon.  Services will conclude with a burial in Pine Haven Cemetery, Burlington.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or www.stjude.org. For obituary, online guestbook, video tribute, and life stream of the Funeral Mass see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net. Arrangements by the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, Burlington.