John Kevin Carroll, formerly of Oak Bluffs, died in the care and comfort of his family on Oct. 15. He was 88.
Kevin was born in Canton the son of the late Frank J. Carroll and Norma (Ahearn) Carroll. He was the beloved and devoted father of Brendan Carroll and his wife, Rachel, of Framingham, and Miriam Carroll Fenton and her husband, Mattias, of Alexandria, Va.; cherished grandfather of Emma Carroll of Mooresville, Ind., and Oliver Fenton of Alexandria, Va.; brother of Miriam Carroll Woods (Donald) of Bronxville, N.Y. and the late Paul B. Carroll (John) and Francis X. Carroll.
He was the husband of the late Charlotte Braillard Carroll who died in 1988, and former wife Linda Hayman Franklin. He is also survived by several loving nieces and nephews.
He spent his formative years in Canton, graduating from Canton High School as class president. He received his A.S. in business from Suffolk University.
In 1963, he volunteered for the U.S. Army Intelligence Corps, serving with honor in Germany during the Berlin crisis.
After his military service, he built a career in banking, eventually becoming president of Walpole Cooperative Bank, a position he held for 18 years. A committed member of the Walpole community, he took leadership roles in the Rotary Club, the Knights of Columbus and other local organizations.
After his wife Charlotte’s death in 1988, Kevin devoted himself to raising their teenage children. In the late 1990s, he remarried and moved to Virginia, where he worked in real estate and lived for 18 years. Since 2014, he lived year-round on Martha’s Vineyard, where he had summered since the 1970s.
Kevin loved sun-bathing on the Island’s beaches, digging clams, sitting on his porch with family and friends, and playing an occasional game of golf. He loved attending the Boston Pops, the Capital Steps and the theatre. He loved traveling as much as he loved a home-town festival. He had a penchant for fish chowder, lobster rolls and chocolate of any sort.
He was a devout Catholic and an active member of the Martha’s Vineyard recovery community, spending many years in support of others. He will be fondly remembered by his family and the many lives that he touched over the years, both professionally and socially.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Saturday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m. at St. Timothy Catholic Church, 650 Nicholas St, Norwood. Interment will follow in Canton Corner Cemetery, 1600 Washington St., Canton, with reception to follow.
In lieu of flowers his family kindly suggests that gifts in Kevin’s memory may be sent to the Vineyard House, 55 Short Hill Rd/P.O. Box 4599, Vineyard Haven, MA 02568 (vineyardhouse.org) or Care Dimensions Hospice, 125 Winter St, Lincoln, MA 01773.