Obituary of Amy E. Carlson

Amy E. (Duffey) Carlson, a medical assistant and a woman of great courage and kindness, passed away at the age of 41 on Wednesday December 28, 2022 after a valiant battle with cancer. Amy was diagnosed with Crohn’s and the liver disease PSC at the age of 11. Ever since, she has gracefully and heroically fought against all the health issues and complications that came with those prognoses. She never complained about her woes, but rather lived each day as a gift that was not to be wasted. She danced her entire childhood and into her early adult years at the Ballet Arts Centre in Winchester. She excelled in ballet, jazz, and tap. She loved the many recitals and performing in the Nutcracker. She had many wonderful memories growing up in Woburn and being a member of the Woburn High School Class of 2000. She was raised in a home filled with 3 generations which included her grandmother, parents and 7 siblings. It was always filled with commotion, laughter, and love. There were family adventures like vacations at York Beach, Maine, Loon Mountain, and the most memorable trip in an RV with all the family and their dog Addie to Florida. Amy was 22 when her mom passed away. She and her siblings rallied together to fill that deep void in their household helping maintain their home, cook, and watch over their younger brother. Amy worked as a medical assistant at Mystic Valley Urology in Stoneham for 16 years. She had an amazing bedside manner, and she was adored by her patients. 

Amy met her husband John in 2003 and they married in 2010. They purchased a home in Dracut in 2009 and started a family with the births of Maggie Rose and Julie Elizabeth. They were her reason to fight her illness. She was an incredible mother who loved her children with her every breath and is without a doubt now their guardian Angel. She was also a second mother to her many nieces and nephews. There were family vacations

to Aruba and St. Martin, but her most favorite destination in the world was Disney World. She went there a total of 15 times. She loved the rides, the food, and the Disney experience. A Disney trip was filled to the brim with activities. She strategized her days sometimes to the minute, followed Disney bloggers for more tricks and guides, and was always getting the most out of her Disney adventure. She loved to shop but not for clothing, but rather food. She was a phenomenal cook and expressed her love for others with food. One of her favorite things to do in the kitchen was to teach her her two daughters Maggie and Julie. She was so kind and caring when adversity struck someone she loved, she was the first one there with a warm meal and a warm smile. That was how Amy approached life thinking of others first. Forty one years seems so short, but in the end, it is not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. Amy filled her years with wonderful memories filled with thoughtfulness, kindness and love. Amy may you rest eternally at peace. 

“Death leaves a heartache no one can heal; Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” –Anonymous 

Amy was the beloved wife of John P. Carlson. She was the loving mother of Maggie Rose Carlson and Julie Elizabeth Carlson. She was the daughter of the late John & Rosemary (Castine) Duffey. She was the devoted sister of Jennifer Arington & her husband Richard of North Reading, Kathleen Leonard & her husband William of Saugus, Elizabeth Ouellette & her husband Brian of Woburn, Christopher Duffey & his wife Kim of Woburn, Erin Boylen & her husband Kevin of Westford, Mary Kazis & her husband Peter of Methuen, and Kevin Duffey & his wife Sara of Hudson, NH. She was the daughter-in-law of

Thomas & Karen Carlson of Burlington and sister-in-law of Thomas & Lindsay Carlson of Burlington and Sheila & Stephen Nobrega of Chelmsford. Amy was the special aunt of 23 and great aunt of 4. She was also survived by her adored dog, Maximus. 

Visiting hours will be held at the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, 43 Winn St., Burlington on Monday, January 2 from 4-7pm. Funeral from the Sullivan Funeral Home on Tuesday at 11am, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at Saint Margaret Church in St. Veronica Parish, www.stveronicama.org, 111 Winn Street, Burlington at noon. Services will conclude with a burial in Chestnut Hill Cemetery, Burlington.

Memorials in Amy’s name may be made to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation, www.crohnscolitisfoundation.org/chapters/ne, 72 River Park St, Suite 202, Needham Heights, MA 02494.

For online guestbook and video tribute see www.sullivanfuneralhome.net