Carolyn (“Carol”) Rebecca Aronson (1942-2026), loving mother, stepmother, sister, aunt, and grandmother, and the devoted spouse of the late Len Aronson (1927-2016), passed away peacefully on August 14, 2026, in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 83. 

A native of Clarksville, Virginia, Carol moved to Norfolk, VA to study at Old Dominion University, and later pursued a career in medical administration, initially at the Veterans Administration in Hampton, VA, later at the VA, and then Duke Medical Center (1984-1991) in Durham, NC. It was in Durham where she met Len, the love of her life, to whom she was married for 36 years before his passing. Carol and Len, and Carol’s son, Jamie, moved to Nashville in 1991, where she served as an Administrative Officer at Vanderbilt University Medical Center until her retirement in 2020. 

Carol was intensely driven to excellence, not merely at work, but in all respects. She was a determined and loving caregiver for her son, Jamie, fighting tirelessly to see that he always received the special care he needed, and spending every weekend with him, no matter what, until her passing. She also doted on Len, ensuring that he always got the best medical care available, and always stocking the fridge with more than enough food and drink to feed him and his nephew, Louis Siegel, with whom he worked, and their many visiting clients and colleagues, as Len worked from home. Carol’s great-niece, Marie Wilcox, remembers Carol’s warm and kind presence, her beautiful eyes, and her sweet smile. 

Carol is survived by her precious son, James “Jamie” H. Bohannon, III, of Antioch, TN; her dear brother, Douglas “Dougie” Leon Wilkinson, Jr., of Virgilina, VA; with whom she shared her October 3rd birthday (Dougie laughed recalling Carol’s frequent “reminder” that he “ruined her sixth birthday”); Dougie and his late wife Teresa’s sons, Willis “Heath” Wilkinson and Erik L. Wilkinson; and her stepdaughters, Amy Lee Aronson Vaughan and Laura Jane Aronson Swords. Laura and her husband, Gregory “Greg” Alan Swords, took extraordinary care of Carolyn, especially in her last few years, frequently traveling from Atlanta to keep her company. Carol also is survived by two grandchildren: Laura and Greg’s daughter, Rachael Anne Starks, who cherishes memories of spending every winter holiday season visiting Carol (whom she called “Granny”); and, Amy’s son, David Austin Vaughan; along with many great and great-great nieces and nephews. Her great-great niece and nephew, Jasmine and Nicholas (Marie’s two oldest children) both recall the wonderful Halloween celebrations at Len and Carol’s home with trick-or-treating in the Old West End, and the delicious treats Carol always kept around especially for them. 

Carol was predeceased by her parents, Hazel M. Williams and Douglas L. Wilkinson, Sr., her husband, Leonard D. Aronson, and her sister-in-law, Teresa T. Wilkinson (d. 2016). There is a memorial service for Carol at the Antioch First Baptist Church, 2601 Una Antioch Pike, Antioch, TN 37013, on Thursday, August 27, 2026, at 11:00 AM, with a reception and refreshments to follow. Her ashes will be interred at the Wilkinson family plot at Oak Hill Cemetery, in Clarksville, Virginia.