Saunderstown, RI- Carol Barbara Congdon Wood, a woman of fierce spirit, boundless energy, and deep love for her family, passed away after a life lived boldly and on her own terms on March 19, 2026.

Born on June 16, 1944, in Fulton, New York to Rosamond and John Congdon, she was especially close to her grandmother, Barbara Rogers. She married Larry Wood in 1964, and together they welcomed three children who became the foundation of everything she held dear. Carol made her way with her children to the sunshine of Palm Beach County, Florida in 1979, where she would spend more than four decades building a life she was proud of.

Carol was not a woman who stood still. In one of her most remarkable chapters, she returned to school and earned her nursing degree, becoming a Registered Nurse at the age of 54. What followed was a distinguished and meaningful career as both a dialysis and endoscopy RN where her directness and dedication made her an exceptional caregiver and inspired her granddaughter, Crystal, to follow in her footsteps. She semi-retired at 73, though “retirement” was never quite her style, and she continued working part-time because that’s simply who she was.

Weekends often found Carol exactly where she wanted to be: at the motocross track, eyes fixed on her grandson Drew Engel as he rode. She was his most devoted spectator and she treasured every moment of the time she spent with him. She also had a deep love of tennis, following her favorite players with the kind of loyalty most people reserve for family. Away from the stands, Carol had a passion for rock music and had a well-known soft spot for performance cars, particularly her prized Dodge SRT-4, which she drove with the same fearless energy she brought to everything else in life.

Carol is survived by her daughter Kim Bellemore and her husband Norman; her daughter Kristine Engel and her husband Tom; her son Larry Wood and his wife Maria; her granddaughter Crystal Wood and Crystal’s mother, Shiela Wood; grandsons Jack and Eric Bellemore; and her great-grandchild Remi Lawrence. She is also survived by her sister Susan Fiorini and her husband Vincent, nieces Erin Fiorini and Brittney Jerred, brother Ben Brooks and his wife Mary, niece Tammy Barnhart, and nephew Brandon Brooks.

She will be remembered as a woman who lived with grit and grace, who showed up for the people she loved, and who proved that it is never too late to become exactly who you are meant to be.

Knight Funeral Home in White River Junction, VT assisted with arrangements.