Caroline Rose Friedman of Barrington Rhode Island passed away unexpectedly on February 4th, 2025, after a joy-filled but very challenging life complicated by her many medical issues. Make no mistake, Caroline packed a lot of fun into her short life. Caroline was a true warrior and a gift to all she met.
Caroline is survived by her loving parents Theodore “Ted” and Elizabeth “Betsy” Friedman; younger sister Addison “Addy”; dogs Daisy and Piper; grandmothers Shari Friedman of Barrington, RI and Kathy McGowan of Mattapoisett, Mass and Venice, Fla; Grandfather Robert (Deborah) Friedman of New York City; aunts Katie Emche (James) of Ocean Pines, Md; Marya Dunham (John) of Mattapoisett, Mass; and Kerry McNulty (Brian) of Duxbury, Mass; uncles Dan (Robyn) Friedman of Maplewood, NJ and Eric (Kate) Friedman of Washington DC; Caroline was predeceased by her paternal grandfather Charles McGowan and uncle Peter McGowan. Additionally, Caroline had a host of loving and adored cousins; Jake (Gabby), Phoebe, Elizabeth, Matthew, Kathleen, Kate, Izzy, Oliver (Jane), Carsyn, Owen, Grayson and Finley. Family was the center of Caroline’s world and she showered them all with her unlimited love.
Born in Providence, RI, Caroline raced into this world two months early and had medical challenges from day one. She spent her first four months surrounded by her parents, family, and exceptional caregivers at Women & Infants NICU & Boston Children’s Hospital as she underwent open heart surgery and a host of other procedures. It was a very rocky first decade, but she persevered. Immediately Caroline captured everyone’s attention with her fierce determination that defied all the odds.
Caroline’s pure and generous spirit, coupled with her willingness to share herself with you, was truly captivating. Time with Caroline was a joyous, full-sensory experience. She would tell you a story, lock in on you to hold your attention, get up in your space, share her photos, ask you questions, share laughs and wave others away. It always felt like an honor to be singled out of the pack as the object of her affection. For Caroline, time spent at the beach in Mattapoisett with friends and family was time well spent. The beach was her happy place. Caroline thrived in social gatherings, large or small with those closest to her. She connected her large extended family daily through her two group texts: “Family Funhouse” and “Friedmans are bomb.” A popular message on the Funhouse group chat from Caroline was, “Good afternoon, everyone, how is your day going?” She brightened our days with her kind words, thoughts on life and questions to the family. Facetime was the preferred way of communication because she always wanted the full experience of seeing you if you were not lucky enough to be together. A social media maven at heart, Caroline also enjoyed managing multiple accounts chronicling her adventures and her pets.
Life for this remarkable woman was not without complications. The 21 years we had with Caroline were only possible through miracles of modern medical science. We nearly lost her a few times, especially in her early years. For her first 12 years, Betsy & Ted had to mix lifesaving medication every 24 hours, which was then pumped into a central line, straight into her heart. That medication had to be on ice, dispensed from a very small backpack to keep this courageous and special child alive. The backpack that she wore with confidence every day was her first fashion statement. She learned to crawl, sit up and then to walk, all while hooked up to oxygen and her backpack.
Her doctors in Rhode Island and Boston were passionate about her care and gave her their very best treatment, time and attention. They too were captivated by her charm and irresistible personality. Caroline’s ability to personally connect with all the specialists she saw regularly, whether checking her in at a doctor’s appointment or trying to draw blood from her in the hospital, was unbelievable. Once when she was at Boston Children’s Hospital for an especially long time, Caroline decided she would brighten people’s days by decorating stethoscopes – wrapping them in crazy patterns of duct tape. Doctors & nurses came from all over the hospital to drop theirs off at the foot of her bed and come back to pick it up later! She was always a force to be reckoned with whenever she discovered a new interest!
Caroline never allowed her limitations to dampen her spirit. She demanded to swim like everyone else – so her first bathing suit was a custom-made drysuit to keep her backpack dry. A couple of years ago, she wanted to work at Oxford Creamery – her favorite ice cream spot in Mattapoisett, so she asked the owners for a job. Like everyone else, they quickly fell under her spell, and she enjoyed two incredible summers working for the best bosses around. The added benefit of the possibility of a lobster roll at the end of her shift, was always a perk!
We will always remember Caroline’s love for ice cream, lobster rolls (at any time and any price), singing and dancing to music (Taylor Swift, Queen, Mylie Cyrus, Katy Perry and Chappell Roan), saying “Music is my life” and then laughing because she knew it would make others laugh too. She loved eating sushi, building the perfect charcuterie board, planning parties and trips, playing Unified Basketball (“Can’t Miss Caroline” was her nickname), participating in Unified Theater at Barrington High School, watching Jimmy Fallon, and drinking as many French Vanilla Swirl Iced Coffees from Dunkin (or Pink Drinks… or another from a rotating list of drinks at Starbucks) as she could convince anyone to buy for her. She was always taking pictures of her family and friends, making funny videos, crafting homemade ice cream, sending out endless sunset and cute dog pictures and documenting her quest to add to her large and small kitchen gadget collection.
Caroline’s strength, perseverance and enthusiasm for life were legendary. She was a beacon of light and beamed positivity. Her radiant smile and warm presence revealed the love she had for everyone around her. She brought out the best in everyone and simply made you a better human just by being in her orbit. Sunshine, joy, laughter and so much kindness all wrapped up in one small person.
We will celebrate Caroline’s remarkable life and tremendous legacy with a party fit for the ultimate party planner herself at the beach next summer – exactly as she would have loved. The family would like to say a very special thank you to her unbelievable pediatrician Dr Kevin Clegg of Barrington Pediatrics and her Cardiologist/Pulmonary Hypertension Specialist Dr Mary Mullen of Boston Children’s Hospital who helped guide all of Caroline’s tremendous and very complicated care so lovingly for over 21 years.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation in Caroline’s name to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.
“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count, it is the life in your years” – Abraham Lincoln.
Please visit www.smithmason.com for online condolences.
