Friday, June 2, 2023
This is obviously an extremely belated entry, but I thought of Carl today and wanted to chronicle his very positive impact on my family. Carl was a childhood friend of my mother, Ruth, in Southbridge. I can picture clearly a group photo of them involved in a croquet game. Carl was, even then, tall, slim, and elegant. We also have photos of his graduation in our family albums. After his amazing career out west, he returned to western Mass. and kept in touch. My brothers and I grew up enjoying his “pop in” weekend visits. He was a quiet person - always courteous, well-spoken, and immaculate in appearance. I can still picture his eyes crinkling when he chuckled quietly at something. Carl’s extensive Intellectual gifts ran to the hard sciences. The poor man was enlisted by my mother to explain Algebra problems to me when I was perhaps 12 or 12. He was patient and extremely clear. I remember his train hobby and believe he was the source of my brother’s interest in same. Later on, we were fortunate to receive wood carvings at the holidays. They were meticulously wrought and inscribed in simple letters with his name. I inherited the lovely and rustic items and set them out each season. I last saw Carl at my mother’s funeral. True to his nature, he appeared with a spectacular and tasteful bouquet but quietly slipped away, declining to stay for the lunch. I so wish I could have spoken more with him that day to share how we appreciated his presence in our lives. He was a man you could depend on, and depend on to do the right thing. I hope two things: that the Southbridge gang has reunited over a fresh game of croquet and that he knows how my brothers and I admired and valued him. Rest in peace, dear Carl.
