Caroline Johnson Wilk

WINCHESTER, Mass. – Caroline Johnson Wilk, 85, a longtime resident of Winchester, Mass., passed away peacefully on Nov. 27, 2022.

She was the loving daughter of the late Stephen and Elizabeth Johnson. She is survived by her son, Stephen Wilk and his wife Sandy of Tewksbury, Mass., son, Justin Wilk and his wife Shannon of Cape Elizabeth, daughter, Katherine Wilk and her partner Robert O’Brien of North Andover, Mass.; grandson, Patrick Wilk and his wife Marilyn, granddaughter, Rachel Kern and husband Jack, granddaughters Audrey Wilk and Elizabeth Wilk, and grandson, Charlie Wilk. She was also great-grandmother to Addyson, Lilly, and Jack.

Caroline was born and raised in Cape Elizabeth. After high school, Caroline went to Garland Junior College to study early childhood education in the Back Bay section of Boston, Mass. From there she was offered a position at MIT and became a member of the Instrumentation Laboratory Polaris Missile Guidance Team where she met her husband Leonard.

For several years Caroline prioritized staying at home and raising her children, first in Belmont then Winchester, Mass. Later she enjoyed being an early childhood teacher at the Methodist nursery school in Winchester, Mass. Subsequently, she returned to a support position at MIT then took a position at the Harvard Divinity School, later retiring from Harvard after working at Harvard Kennedy School library as an office manager. Mom was always fascinated by Harvard’s International community. She was friendly and curious. She could start conversations with strangers about interests or cultures and part as friends. While she enjoyed a varied work career she most fondly remembered her time home with her children and as a preschool teacher in Winchester, Mass. Caroline was proud of many things but especially her family and her heritage as a New England Yankee.

At an early age, Caroline spent some of her time on the docks of South Portland where she learned to sail small boats from an old sailor, Captain Faulkingham. Much later, she joined the Winchester Boat Club and sailed her Snipe both competitively and for pleasure on the Mystic Lake. However, most of her sailing was in open water. In the summer she would trade time at her Mt. Abram ski Village home for time on a two masted sailboat. The boat would be sailed either out of Salem, Mass. and up the coast to Gloucester, Mass. or out of South Portland, cruising Casco Bay. Children and a dog would be pressed as necessary to crew. Caroline was a superb sailor.

Caroline especially enjoyed time at her vacation home in Greenwood at Mt. Abram which she built along with her ex-husband, Leonard. She spent winter time at Mt. Abram downhill and cross-country skiing, sewing, reading and time with family in front of the wood burning stove. Summers she enjoyed gardening, hiking, swimming, camping on Hermits Island, travel to coast of Maine, Harvey’s Lake in Vermont, and arts and crafts at McLaughlin gardens. She was always joined by one of her beloved dogs especially Sasha and later Nutmeg. In her later years Caroline enjoyed hosting “Camp Grandma” for her grandchildren, sharing her favorite activities. A seasonal treat was an annual trip into Boston to stay at the Parker House and see the Nutcracker Ballet with her grandchildren.

Caroline’s final years were spent at a senior community in Andover, Mass. She was able to enjoy many of her favorite activities and be close to family. Caroline always found great joy in every day indulgence. When we remember Caroline, we take the time to be kind, engage a stranger, go to lunch with a friend, get an ice cream, enjoy fresh flowers, and always get the real maple syrup! A celebration of Caroline’s life is planned for spring.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to community-boating.org whose mission is to enable sailing for all.