Doris Carver

Doris Marie Carver, 91, of Hopkinton passed away at her home surrounded by her family on Dec. 23. Born in South Boston, she was the daughter of the late Aldina (Silva) and Charles Pitty.

Doris was born in 1931 and was raised in South Boston, attending Gate of Heaven School. She met and married the love of her life, the late former Hopkinton Police Officer Harry Carver, and together they moved their family of eight children to Hopkinton, a community she loved for all of her years.

“Mrs. C” was loved and adored by many of the families and children in Hopkinton, often being referred to as that second mother. Doris loved to volunteer, spending countless hours at the Senior Center serving lunch. She was instrumental in the establishment of the Brampton Circle Tenants Organization. She was a town charter founding member and was formerly a contributing writer for the Hopkinton Independent. She was a cashier at Colella’s for several years.

You could find Doris anywhere there was fun. She loved to socialize, attend parties and play bingo. She loved to go to the casino and was a master crocheter, making blankets for all of the family. She enjoyed many family trips such as York Beach in Maine, Disney World, Alabama and the Wisconsin Dells. She loved and enjoyed the ocean, spending many weekends with her family camping in Hampton Beach and Westerley, Rhode Island. She loved spending hot sunny afternoons with her family around the swimming pool. She was crazy about Neil Diamond, attended many concerts, and was an avid Patriots fan right up to the very end, never missing a Sunday to watch “her guys” play to win.

Doris was always so proud of being from South Boston. She raised us to believe that the strongest women were born and raised there, and she took her family for several years into the city for the St. Patrick’s Day parade. She could frequently be heard boasting that “Southie is my hometown,” and if you close your eyes you can hear her sing the words to that song.

Doris was crazy about her family and the legacy she leaves behind. She was always the life of the party and had a soft spot in her heart for so very many. She left a huge presence that will be missed by all of us. Doris wore her heart on her sleeve, and you always knew where you stood with her. She sugarcoated nothing and was notable for “what you see is what you get.” She was a larger-than-life personality who will leave a large hole in those that loved her.

She is survived by her children, Kathleen Gosselin and husband Rick of  Sims, North Carolina, Paula Hooper and husband Gary of Milford, Harold Carver Jr. and wife Linda of Auburn, Thomas Carver and wife Mary of Hopkinton, Colleen Brewer and husband James of Ashland, and Scott Carver and wife Michelle Lariviere of South Grafton. She also leaves behind 21 grandchildren, 43 great-grandchildren, nine great-great-grandchildren and her son-in-law, Arthur McCarthy. She was predeceased by her former husband, Harry Carver; a son, Philip Kelly; a daughter, Sandra McCarthy; and siblings Charles, Robert and Milton Pitty and Corinne Lenane, Mildred Cannizaro and Gertrude Lydon. Doris leaves behind many close friends and many beloved caretakers whom she considered to be her family.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 3, from 4-7 p.m. at the Chesmore Funeral Home of Hopkinton, 57 Hayden Rowe Street. A funeral service will take place at the funeral home on Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 10 a.m. Burial at Evergreen Cemetery will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105 or stjude.org.

Obituaries are submissions, typically from funeral homes, that are not subject to the same level of editorial oversight as the rest of the Hopkinton Independent. Obituaries may be edited for grammatical and factual mistakes and clarifications and shortened for space considerations.