Obituary of Carl Carrara

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Carl Carrara, a beloved husband to his wife, Elizabeth, loving father to his children Doreen and Carl, and grandfather to Paul, Julia, Ryan and Owen. Carl was always surrounded by his family and taking care of them was always his main priority as he was raised to believe family always came first. Carl was born on the fourth of March 1937 to Vito and Camille in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. He went to Lafayette High School where, as he told us often, he was classmates with Sandy Koufax. In 1959, he was drafted into the army where he spent most of that time in Alaska. Carl was extremely proud of his military service and continued that commitment with his membership in the American Legion. Carl met Betty on a blind date and they were married in 1963. Baby Carl was born in 1965 and Doreen arrived 4 years later in 1969. Carl moved the family to their new home in Staten Island where he and Betty lived for the rest of his life. Throughout his life, Carl was a dedicated family man. He worked hard to provide for his family and was proud of his position at Manufacturers Hanover. When not working, he spent all his time with his family and friends. Carl also had many interests including coin collecting, reading history books and his favorite baseball team, the St Louis Cardinals. Carl loved spending time with family and friends. He always held court at the dinner table sharing stories of his childhood, the army, and his courtship of Betty. He was interested in learning about other people and was always making new friends. There was nothing Carl loved more than a good debate and took pleasure in making his point. His greatest joy was his family. He often regaled his friends (and sometimes strangers) with announcements of Doreen and Carl’s accomplishments. His grandchildren, Paul, Julia, Ryan, and Owen were the light of his life. For every birthday, he would place an announcement in the Staten Island Advance, then send it in the mail with a handwritten note. He carried their photos in his wallet to share with friends (and again, sometimes strangers) on a regular basis. Carl’s passing is a loss that will be deeply felt by all who knew him. We will miss his loud voice and him saying “I love you” at the end of every get together and phone call. We love you too, Carl. Rest in peace. Funeral from the Matthew Funeral Home Inc., 2508 Victory Blvd. on Tuesday, 2/21/2023, departing at 9:30 AM. Funeral Mass will be held in St. Thomas the Apostle Church at 10:30 AM. Interment will follow in Resurrection Cemetery. Family and friends may visit on Monday, 2/20/2023, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:00 PM. www.matthewfuneralhome.com