World War II Navy veteran, commercial fishing captain
Published in the November 22, 2016 edition
WAKEFIELD — Captain Carl E. Spinney, 94, of Wakefield died Monday, Nov. 14, 2016 at the Bear Hill Nursing Center. He was born in Lower Argyle, Nova Scotia on Oct. 11, 1922.
At the age of 14, he and his mother and younger sister came to America to join his father, who was an engineer on fishing boats out of Gloucester. He was a World War II Navy veteran in the Pacific Theater.
Carl was predeceased by his wife, Doris (Merron) Spinney. He was the beloved dad of Linda Spinney of Springfield, Vt.; Martha (Steven) DePriest of Wakefield; Donna Ryan of Malabar, Fla.; Scott (Karolyn) Spinney of Saugus, and Carl Spinney of Salem, N.H. He was the loving Grampie of Jennifer Albright, Joshua Ryan, Rebecca and Sarah DePriest, Scott and Jessie Spinney and Amanda and Kaitlin Spinney and the proud great-grandfather of Jonathan, Jeremy, Kaylee, Michael, Bristol and Emma.
Carl was a commercial fishing captain on many boats that sailed out of Boston Harbor, including the Tremont and the Old Colony. He retired in 1980, and he and Doris moved to Melbourne, Fla. where they lived for more than 20 years. He loved his family, camping trips, playing cards and cribbage. He enjoyed watching the Red Sox and kept us laughing with his great sense of humor.
Visitation for relatives and friends was held at the McDonald Funeral Home, 19 Yale Ave., Wakefield on Wednesday, Nov. 16. A Graveside Service was held at the Forest Hill Cemetery, Forest Hill Avenue, Lynnfield on Thursday, Nov. 17.
Contributions may be made in his memory to the Gloucester Fisherman’s Wives Assoc., 2 Blackburn Center, Gloucester MA 01930.
