The Matriarch of the Shepherd family, Carolyn was a navy nurse for 25 years. The mother of four daughters and one son (all doctors), Carolyn was widowed early after her husband was killed by two people who wanted his watch. When we first meet Carolyn in season five, she's still very effected by her husband's death, saying that she couldn't even sleep on his side of the bed. Her grief caused her to be distant with her youngest daughter, Amelia, and is the cause for the rift between them. She's tough, but obviously loves her children very much.
Carolyn is played by Tyne Daly and better known for her work in television, including her roles in CBS's Cagney and Lacey and Judging Amy.