GROVELAND: Chief John F. Carleton, (Ret.), 83, died September 30, 2011, one day before his 84th birthday. He was the loving husband of Sandra J. (Faxon) Carleton with whom he would have celebrated his twenty-second wedding anniversary with on October 1, 2011.
Born in Haverhill on October 1, 1927, he was the son of the late George A. and Bertha M. (Barton) Carleton. John was a resident of Groveland for most of his life. He had previously resided in West Newbury and Bradford. He was a graduate of the Haverhill Trade School.
Chief Carleton entered the Groveland Fire Department on December 1, 1967, was appointed Chief on August 27, 1988 and retired in January 1993 following twenty-seven years of service. John also owned and operated Carleton Plumbing and Heating in Bradford and continued to work up until the last few years. He was the type of man who was truly dedicated to his work and thoroughly enjoyed and loved serving his customers over the years. There wasn’t anything he would not do for them. His acts of kindness and selflessness surely defined who John was as a man. John never expected anything in return from friends, family and even strangers that he helped during his lifetime. Some say he could be best described as a “gentle giant.” He was always thinking of others needs over his own.
John was a member of the Merrimack Lodge F. & A.M. in Haverhill for several years. He had a love of animals, especially German Shepherd dogs. He will be remembered for always having one by his side. In his earlier years, John’s passion was racing at The Groveland Pines, where he kept his interest and followed NASCAR faithfully. A real pleasure of his was traveling; two of his favorite places were Bar Harbor, Maine and Ste. Agathe, Quebec Canada.
In addition to his wife, he survived by his four children, Dr. John F. Carleton and his wife, Dr. Nancy Tuana of State College, PA, Mark Carleton of Zephyrhills, FL, Susan (Carleton) Dowling of Dade City, FL, Cynthia Carleton-Kimball and her husband, Jeffrey of Easton, ME; a stepson, Stephen P. Baker and his wife, Michele of Manchester, NH; five grandchildren, Christopher and John A. Carleton, Jonathan and Acacia Kimball and Jennifer (Carleton) Ryan; a sister, Janet Photiou of New York; a brother-in-law, David Faxon and his wife, Linda of Glastonbury, CT; a sister-in-law, Suzanne Swartz of Haverhill; beloved uncle of David, Bruce, Gayle, Brenda, Raylene, Sharri, Tina, June and Luanne; special niece, Robyne Uliano and her husband, Ron and their children, Matthew and Maggie. He was also predeceased by his son, David Banks Carleton in 2010 and by three brothers, George, David and Robert Carleton and a sister, Barbara Mahoney.
His funeral Mass will be celebrated on Thursday in Sacred Hearts Church, 165 S. Main St., Bradford at 10 a.m. Visiting hours will be held on Wednesday in the Linnehan-Grondin Funeral Home, 129 Kenoza Avenue, Haverhill from 4 – 8 p.m. Relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend. Because of John’s great love of animals, donations may be made in his memory to the MSPCA, Nevins Farm, 400 Broadway, Methuen, MA 01844-2052. Interment will be held in the Riverview Cemetery, Groveland.