Carol Louise Gestwicki

Carol led an envious life–fulfilling, meaningful and rewarding. Born December 18, 1940, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree from McMaster University. She was a nurse in Toronto and New York City. Carol met her husband, Ron Gestwicki of 46 years, while participating in Operations Crossroads Africa in Kenya. Upon their marriage they returned to Africa working for the Episcopal Church. Returning to America, she earned her MA at Madison University. She taught Headstart and preschool and then began a lifelong career working with adults related to children in the early childhood education department at Central Piedmont Community College.

Carol was a lifetime comprehensive member of National Association for the Education of Young Children and authored a monthly column “Grandma Says” in Growing Child for more than 2 decades. She also authored 10 college textbooks for early childhood education which are still in circulation.

Carol was an avid reader, swimmer, and hiker as well as a great lover of games and spirited competition. She and Ron were world travelers, and she coordinated regular family trips. She was most happy in the outdoors and natural world which led to her homes in the Maine woods and Sanibel, Florida. Her passions were intertwined with her love of family, choosing to climb Mt. Washington with Ron and her sons on her 10th wedding anniversary, and enjoying training at running camp in the Green Mountains of Vermont with her family for her 20th anniversary. Carol was passionate, creative, disciplined, loyal, honest, supportive, and completely authentic. She was tenacious, decisive, and principled and upheld core beliefs for service, stewardship, and community.

Carol made lifelong special friendships wherever she lived, which after her family was most meaningful to her. She established some and was a part of many book clubs and volunteered throughout her life. She volunteered with the League of Women Voters, and in Maine she volunteered with the Waterford Library and the Norway Public Library bookmobile. She served as a Director of the Greater Lovell Land Trust board and was chair of the land preservation committee of the Five Kezar Ponds Watershed Association. During her retirement she volunteered with the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation as a guide, the J.N. Ding Darling National Wildlife Refuge, as board member The International Osprey Foundation, and the Children’s Center of the Islands. She was a passionate and active member of Zonta serving and embracing a wide range of roles in the Club and Foundation. She was involved in ESL with Parent University, Grants Co-Chair, Vice President in charge of Service and Advocacy, and the Women’s Empowerment Series. Known for either spearheading or creatively adapting programs and impact opportunities, Carol brought energy, ideas, and determination to everything she did.

As always, but certainly in her recent years, she was incredibly brave and inspirational and showed through her actions how to handle adversity gracefully and proactively. She was as devoted a mother, wife and grandparent as one could ever imagine. Carol was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years. Together they formed a powerful bond for good and showed all how to live loving, decent and meaningful lives together. She is preceded by her brother, Ross Findlater of Whitehorse, Yukon. She is survived by sister Nancy Cutway and husband Steve of Kingston, Ontario, sister-in-law, Sue Findlater, nieces Heather Finton, Robyn Findlater and Amanda Deuling of Whitehorse, Yukon, and her sons, Jay and Tim Gestwicki and daughter- in- law Karen of Charlotte, NC and her beloved grandchildren Rose and Lila Gestwicki who she cherished immensely.

Carol’s memorial and celebration of life will be August 7, 2027 —an important and celebratory date for the family as “Owner’s Day” marks the date she and Ron bought their cabin in the woods. Memorials may be made to the Greater Lovell Land Trust www.gllt.org.