Obituary of Louise M. Carbone

Louise M. Carbone, a woman who spent her life caring for and keeping her family close, passed away suddenly on Wednesday, September 5, 2018. She was 93 years old. Louise was born in Woburn, the daughter of Ralph and Carmella Brogna. Her mother passed away when she was 4 years old leaving her father to raise her and her brother as well as run his market in North Woburn. When Louise was 12 years old, her father married Mary Agnes Hogan. Agnes was kind, caring, and thoughtful woman and became a second mother to her as well as a strong role model for her throughout her life. She was blessed to see her family would grow with the births of her 3 sisters. It was these life experiences that defined and guided her during her 94 years. It was obvious to see that Louise’s family was the most important part of her life. She would never want to be called the matriarch, but she spent her life always working to keep immediate and extended family close and connected. Her first priority was always her children and their spouses, grand and great grandchildren, siblings, and her many nieces and nephews. She loved to entertain all her family and continue countless family traditions. She loved the ocean and made it a point to have a yearly family vacation at Old Orchard Beach, Salisbury Beach, and spend time with her sisters at the lake house on Little Ossipee in Maine. Another example of her many traditions was that she hosted a Thanksgiving Eve family gathering. It started out just being a night of setting up and cooking and overtime became a second holiday with even more guests than the actual Thanksgiving Day. Louise’s door was always open for family, friends, and neighbors. There were Sunday dinners, birthdays, holidays, parades, and any other occasion. She assumed that everyone that came for a visit must be hungry, so usually the first words she said to her guests were “Can I get you something to eat or a drink.” She went by so many names over the years including; Mom, Grammy, Wee, Weeze, and Mrs. C. Her welcoming manner and warmth made her beloved by all. She could make a new friend standing in line at a store and young adults would joke that they wanted to be her adopted grandchildren. Not only was Louise the glue that kept her family close, but she was the rock on whom they could all rely on. It was her strength that carried her family during family crisis’s. When her husband Tom passed in 1976, she went back to work as a waitress at the Sheraton Commander in Cambridge to support herself and her family. She was well into her 70’s before she retired. She remained strong for her family with the passing of her son, siblings, in-laws, and grandchildren. It was her strong values, ability to connect with others, acceptance of all, kindness, compassion, and love that carried her and her family during her 94 years. She will continue to live in a special place in the hearts of all her family and her memory will always invoke a smile and a sense of warmth to them as time goes by. Louise was the beloved wife of the late Thomas G. Carbone. She was the loving mother of Carol Holman & her husband of Dennis of Hudson, NH, Ralph & his wife Mary Ellen of Nashua, NH, Thomas & his wife Rosemarie of West Newbury & the late Kenneth. She was the sister of Norma Taflas of Haverhill, Joan Brown of Revere and the late Brenda Sweeny and Joseph Brogna. Louise was the proud grandmother of Kerry Ann, April, Daniel, Stephanie & Caroline Carbone, Colleen Klink, Christine Mehr and the late Mandy Carbone, Gerald House and Gregory House. She was also survived by 16 great grandchildren. Funeral from the Edward V Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., BURLINGTON on Saturday, Sept. 8 at 10:30 a.m. Followed by a Mass of Christian Burial in St. Anthony’s Church, 851 Main St., Woburn at 11:30 a.m. Visiting hours at the Funeral Home on Friday from 4-8 p.m. Interment in Woodbrook Cemetery, Woburn. Memorials in Louise’s name may be made to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute – Jimmy Fund, 10 Brookline Place West, 6th Floor, Brookline, MA 02445-7226 or the American Heart Association, PO Box 417005, Boston, MA 02241-7005. For directions, obituary & online guestbook see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net & www.woburncatholic.org