Shrewsbury – Miriam “Mimi” L. Carpenter, 91, of Shrewsbury, MA, formerly of Westborough, passed away quietly on January 17, 2024. She was the devoted wife of Donald F. Kerr, until his death in in 2012. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend.
Mimi is survived by her five children, Cynthia Rotman, Lynn Gilbreath, Andrew Hacanis Jr., Ruth Natale, and Jeffrey Hacanis, eleven grandchildren, and sixteen great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind many close friends and relatives. Words cannot express how much she was loved by her family and friends, and how much she will be missed.
Mimi was born on August 14, 1932, in Worcester, Massachusetts. She was the daughter of Bernice and Chesley D. Colwell, who owned a grocery store on Highland Street, and she spent her entire childhood in Worcester. She attended the High School of Commerce where she was on the tennis and basketball teams. It was here that she became an avid tennis player and continued to play throughout most of her life.
After graduation, she married Andrew Hacanis Sr., and raised her family in Westborough. She was a member of the League of Women Voters and played an integral part in starting the Westborough Youth and Family Services. She was secretary to the Town Manager for many years before retiring.
Mimi loved her family and friend gatherings and found great joy participating in whatever her family was involved in. It didn’t matter if it was a concert, a graduation, a birthday celebration, or feeding a calf on her daughter’s farm – she was all in.
She was always physically active and enjoyed walks outdoors in any weather, kayaking, swimming, tennis, and sailing. She enjoyed playing cards and often played Cribbage, 45’s, Hearts, Golf, and Bridge. Mimi excelled at growing Begonias and was an avid gardener. She was a skilled seamstress, creating countless dresses, prom and wedding gowns, and curtains on her epic Singer sewing machine.
Mimi was the original conservationist. It wasn’t unusual to see a collection of plastic bags, twist ties, dated bread tags, and folded aluminum foil in the bottom drawer of the kitchen cabinet.
Ogunquit Beach, Maine was one of her favorite destinations and became a tradition. If you were lucky enough to accompany her, you could expect to ride the waves no matter how cold the water was, build a sandcastle, eat lobster, and go for long walks on the beach, talking about anything and everything.
Mimi is also predeceased by her previous husband, Richard Carpenter, with whom she had many wonderful years, as well as her loving older brother, George Colwell.
A memorial service will be held at The Congregational Church of Westborough, 57 West Main St., Westborough, MA on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at 1:00 PM. The service will be followed by a collation in the vestry.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the League of Women Voters: https://www.lwv.org/give or Meals on Wheels: https://mealsonwheelsamerica.org/take-action/donate/individual-giving.
Pickering & Son Westborough Funeral Home assisted with arrangements.
