Carolann (Goodnow) Denkewicz, 57, of East Greenwich passed away peacefully at home on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2020, surrounded by her husband, two sons and sister-in-law, after losing her courageous battle against breast cancer.
Born on April 21, 1963 in Fitchburg, MA, Carolann was the daughter and only child of the late Angela and Robert Goodnow of Leominster, MA. She attended St. Anthony’s Elementary School, Holy Family High School, and St. Bernard’s Catholic High School, all in Fitchburg. She went on to graduate from St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing in Worcester, MA in 1984. She met the love of her life on September 21, 1981, and they were married on June 29, 1985.
Carolann leaves behind her husband of 35 years, Raymond P. Denkewicz, and her two sons, Ryan and Andrew, along with many family members, friends and neighbors, all who loved her dearly.
During the early years of marriage, Carolann worked as a registered nurse until her focus became raising her two sons. Ryan and Drew were her life’s mission and were her greatest source of pride, watching them mature into polite and compassionate young men. She will be remembered for the graceful, beautiful way in which she lived and devoted her life to her family and others in need. Her life was truly a life well lived.
Carolann loved gardening, tennis, picking blueberries, entertaining, playing board games with her sons and cherished summer vacations in Ogunquit, Maine. She will be remembered for her elegance, grace and beauty (both inside and out), especially when bringing family and friends together to enjoy her fabulous cooking and genuine hospitality. All were touched by her thoughtful generosity, including special pies, treats and gifts. She loved her church (St. Gregory the Great Church) where she was a Eucharistic Minister, taught religious education and participated in the Childrens’ Liturgy of the Word program, and was a perennial volunteer at the Parish Festival. After the boys were grown, Carolann enjoyed working again as a registered nurse, serving her patients with compassion and love.
Carolann was also very active for many years at Bishop Hendricken High School, chairing their Annual Calendar Drive and chairing various committees for The Fund for Hendricken. In recognition of these efforts, Carolann was inducted into the Bishop Hendricken Hall of Fame (Volunteer Service Award) in 2016.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, the church funeral service will be private, but will be live streamed from St. Gregory the Great Church (www.stgregorychurchri.com) at 10:00 a.m. on May 23rd The link will be found at the church website above, closer to the scheduled mass time.
In lieu of flowers, a Scholarship Fund in Carolann’s name is being established for high school seniors intending on pursuing a nursing career. Contributions may be made to The Carolann Denkewicz Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 651, East Greenwich, RI 02818.
