David Carpenter

David Carpenter, a life long Wakefield resident, died peacefully on Valentines Day 2025. He was 99, lucid as ever, expressing the weekend before his passing his looking forward to watching the Super Bowl, as well as his views on national events and politics.

Born on September 7, 1925, David was raised in Greenwood and graduated from Wakefield High School in 1943. He enlisted in the Navy during WW II, training over one hundred Navy fighter pilots on a new and vital technology - radar. He was then assigned to a Landing Ship in the Pacific, as a radarman. He was a well regarded seaman because of his radar expertise, a rare and valued skill.

In 1948, David married Arlene Fowler from Malden. They moved to Kansas so David could attend the University of Kansas and earn a degree in Civil Engineering. While there, Arlene became the primary bread winner. Afterwards David matriculated to Harvard University where he received a Masters Degree in Environmental Engineering. 

They settled in Wakefield and raised five children: Diane, Kathleen, Michael, Beth and Kevin. David loved being a father of such a large family and was very involved in his children’s upbringing. He treasured time spent with family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren whom he loved deeply.

During his long engineering career David worked for major engineering firms as a manager of the design and construction of large domestic and international industrial and environmental projects. He managed an engineering project in Egypt and another in Iran where he met the Shah of Iran. What he enjoyed about being an engineer was that every project was different with new challenges and solutions.

He helped obtain good entry level jobs for countless people which allowed them to gain valuable experience as they began their careers. 

He loved working in his workshop, racing sailboats, dogs, reading, music, riding his motorcycle, discussing national events and politics. He celebrated momentous events by shooting off his beloved cannon, which always brought the Wakefield police to his door. He liked all vegetables except potatoes and brussel sprouts. He did not like pasta.

He hated shopping and waiting for a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g! 

With his extraordinary woodworking skills and creativity, David could make or fix anything to the benefit of his family and friends. Some of his projects included home improvement projects as well as making one of a kind gifts.

He had a keen memory with the exception of his wife’s birthday and wedding anniversary, dates his daughters had to remind him every year, giving him time to buy a gift thereby avoiding being relegated to the “dog house”.

With no prior sailing experience, David became an avid sailor and enthusiastic “one design” racer out of Wakefield and Marblehead. He even built the first two boats he and his children raced on Lake Quannapowitt. 

His favorite travel memories were with his wife Arlene and St Joseph’s church members on a pastor led trip to Rome, visiting relatives in England, and Caribbean cruise ship trips with family. He especially enjoyed chartering yachts and cruising Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod and the British Virgin Islands with his family and friends. “Louder family” bareboat charters were especially memorable.

David was an active member of St. Joseph's Church in Wakefield for over 70 years. He was a devout Catholic and penned 20 Letters to God which expressed his faith, yet also questioned the Church’s stand on birth control, divorce and remarriage, and not allowing married priests or woman priests.

He served on the Wakefield Board of Public Works for three years and was a past commodore of the Quannapowitt Yacht Club.

After retiring in 2002, David volunteered through the Wakefield Council for Aging to provide free carpentry, electrical, and plumbing repairs for Wakefield seniors. David’s Mr Fix It role had him fixing everything from doors, lamps, furniture, faucets, installing shower grab bars, bannisters, new lights, just about anything seniors needed repaired that they couldn’t hire someone to do. He was in constant demand and only charged for materials. Seniors he helped were enormously grateful.

David was the beloved husband of Arlene (Fowler) Carpenter, who died in 2016. Devoted father of Diane and Jeromy Brown, Kathleen and Jeremy Long, Michael Carpenter and Elizabeth Mansfield, Beth and Gerald Luke, and their late son Kevin, three adoring granddaughters, Kimberly, Gwen, Gretchen and two great grandchildren, Noah and Madeleine.

David’s Funeral Mass will be celebrated on February 27at 10 AM at St Patrick’s Church 71 Central St in Stoneham. Interment, to be held in the spring.

If you knew David at all, he most likely did something big or small that helped you in some way. So, in lieu of flowers or a donation to a charity, friends can honor David’s life by sharing their talents and gifts with others, something he did his entire life.

For more information, www.facebok.com/BarileFamilyFuneralHome