Obituary of Mary Louise Carpinella

Mary Louise Carpinella, a former Licensed Practical Nurse for Winchester Hospital, passed away on July 1, 2023 at the age of 93. Mary Louise was born to her parents John and Anna Louise Drohan in Arlington, MA. Mary grew up in West Medford. In high school, she fell for a boy named Richard (Dick) Carpinella. The two were high school sweethearts and got married at 18. 

After graduating from High School, Mary went to Lawrence Memorial Training Nursing School. Following her graduation, she began working at Choate Hospital in Woburn and then Winchester Hospital. 

Mary and Richard did everything together. They loved to travel all over the world, especially on cruises. After living a brief time in Reno, Nevada, they settled in Winchester, where they raised their four kids. Mary had a very outgoing personality and was always confident. She stuck to her guns, and rarely wavered from her opinions. Although she was 98.5% Irish, she could cook like an Italian. She made Sunday gravy that everyone flocked to the table for. 

After her kids were older, Mary retired, and she and Richard moved to North Carolina. Mary maintained a busy social calendar. She loved to spend time with her friends and had many hobbies. She loved to play golf, tennis, and go bowling. She was also a proud member of the Red Hat Society and was always religious, even serving as a Eucharistic minister in her church. She and Dick lived in North Carolina until Dick passed away in 2009. They remained faithfully in love for their 62 years of marriage. Mary moved back north to Burlington, where she lived closer to her daughter Kathy and some grandchildren, and she could spend time with many old friends. 

Mary was the loving wife of the late Dick Carpinella. She was the beloved mother of Mary Barrett and her husband James of Clinton, MD, the late Gary Carpinella of Attleboro, MA, the late Richard Carpinella, Jr. and his surviving wife, Ruth of Pensacola, FL, and Kathy Gillingham and her husband Bruce of Lowell. She was the proud grandmother of 12 grandchildren and 6 great grandchildren. The family also extends their sincere appreciation to Sunny Acres Nursing Home of Chelmsford, MA for the dedicated care they gave their mother. 

A Funeral Mass for Mary will be held on Monday, July 10 at Noon in St. Barbara’s Church, 138 Cambridge Rd, Woburn, MA 01801. Family and friends are cordially invited to meet at the church. Burial will be private.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making donations to Sunny Acres Activity Department, 254 Billerica Rd, Chelmsford, MA 01824. 

For an online guestbook, tribute video and service information, please visit www.sullivanfuneralhome.net.  Arrangements by the Edward V. Sullivan Funeral Home, Burlington.