Cynthia Carpenter Obituary

Cynthia "Cindy" A. Carpenter (75) of Tamworth, NH unexpectedly passed away on December 9, 2024 after a sudden illness. She was born on March 14, 1949 and was raised in Dedham, Massachusetts, the daughter of Lewis B. and Arline (McLeod) Pierce. As early as grade school Cindy began her love of fiber arts. Through her high school years she was often occupied knitting sweaters, or engaged in a crochet project.
Cindy attended Northeastern University in Boston in their nursing program and had early experience working in the recovery room at Mount Auburn Hospital and at Children's Hospital. Her engagement at Children's led her to a career in pediatric medicine and she spent much of that career at Lexington Pediatric Associates in Lexington, Massachusetts. While there, Cindy completed the Northeastern program to become a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner; one of the first nurse practitioners to work in the field.
In high school 58 years ago, Cindy met her husband Cal at Briarwood conference center on Cape Cod. Married for the past 53 and a half years they lived in Bedford, Massachusetts raising their two daughters. Cindy was active with the Bedford Players; a community theater organization for which she was often engaged in making costumes and occasionally acting. She was also active with her husband in the Bedford Minuteman Company, a colonial reenactment group, for which she used her talents to create colonial style dresses. Throughout her daughters' school years Cindy was a Girl Scout leader providing outdoor, crafting, and service experiences for her troops. She was also a longtime supporter of POMS (Patrons of Music Students) in working to provide individual music lessons for middle and high school students and on most Friday nights in football season was found in the POMS "Chuckwagon" cooking hotdogs and making hot chocolate.
Upon retirement in 2006, Cindy moved to become a full time resident of Tamworth at her home overlooking Moore's Pond and Mount Chocorua in the immediate distance. Thanks to a long time family friend and nursing colleague, Cindy was introduced to the skill of weaving. After some courses and an abundance of practice, Cindy became an accomplished weaver. Not stopping there, she pushed her skill level further by learning to spin the yarn to be used in her weavings. At present, in her studio, there are six looms of various sizes and function, two spinning wheels, three sewing machines, and a variety of added accessories. Cindy was a member of the Fiber Arts Group centered in Madison, NH, Mainly Weavers Guild in Falmouth, Maine, and the New Hampshire Weaving Guild in Concord, NH for which she served as membership chairperson.
An active outdoor person, Cindy enjoyed skiing and snowshoeing in the winter as well as hiking, bicycling and camping in the seasonal weather. Locally, she served several terms on the Executive Board of the association in which she lived. She has always had the desire and fortitude to work to make the lives of neighbors and family better. Sharing her talents and skills with her grandchildren has been the highlight of the past several years. Whenever any of them are at the pond Cindy welcomes their interest in weaving activities (especially potholders) and joins with them in kayaking, cooking, and campfire s'mores. It was "Camp Meme".
During retirement Cindy enjoyed travel with friends and family. A few ocean cruises in the Caribbean led to longer stays in the islands of the Bahamas, St. Lucia, Antigua, Barbados, Curacao, and Grenada. Adventures also included a month-long road trip through France and Italy, meeting family in Australia, a river cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, experiences in Iceland and Scotland, tours of the mountains and glaciers of Alaska, driving from New Hampshire to Key West and back, and very recently cruising from Venice, Italy to Athens, Greece. She was also thrilled to travel to New Jersey and to California to watch grandchildren compete in significant lacrosse tournaments and state championship football games.
Cindy is survived by her husband Cal Carpenter and two daughters. Krystin Swift of Caldwell, New Jersey along with her husband Frank and grandchildren William and Hannah often visit here in NH. Katelyn "Katie" Warden along with her husband Jacob and grandchildren John "JJ", Eleanor "Ellie", and Lucy are more remote as diplomatic careers with the U.S. State Department have them now stationed in Uganda. They do come to NH in the summer and enjoy time with their cousins here at the pond. At her passing, she was surrounded by her family including two of her brothers; Richard "Dick" Pierce and his wife Veronica of Dedham, Massachusetts and Donald Pierce and his wife Anne of Colchester, Vermont. Cindy's youngest brother Steven Pierce of Ventura, California was in constant contact.
The Baker-Gagne Funeral Home of West Ossipee, NH is assisting the family with arrangements. To view an online memorial, leave a message of condolences or for more information go to: baker-gagnefuneralhomes.com There will be a service at St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Bedford, Massachusetts on June 28, 2025 from 11:00 am - 2:00 pm when family can travel the great distances. Interment in the Memorial Garden will be followed by a Celebration of Life. Additionally, there will be a Celebration of Life on June 30, 2025 to be held at the Farmstand at 1118 Page Hill Rd, Chocorua, NH from 12:00 noon to 2:00 pm.
"There Are No Gloomy Skies - When Seen Through The Eyes - Of Those Who Are Blessed With Love"
Summer Place (Percy Faith)