Yarmouth- Charlotte Cummings Carnes of Yarmouth, Maine died peacefully at age 82 with her children Tim and Jen at her side. She was a beloved member of the Yarmouth community and will be deeply missed by family and friends.
Charlotte was born in 1942 in La Jolla, CA. She moved east at a young age, and grew up in Wellesley and Gloucester, MA. She spent lots of time skiing and sailing with her older brother Damon who still lives in Gloucester with his family.
Charlotte attended Dana Hall prep school, followed by Wellesley College where she majored in Botany. She then went to Albany Medical School, graduating with her Doctorate in Medicine in 1968. She moved to Portland, Maine to complete her residency in Pediatrics at Maine Medical Center. It was here she met her husband Tim, who was completing his training in Internal Medicine. They married in 1970 and moved to Yarmouth where they enjoyed building their practices and family together.
Charlotte had a long career caring for children in the greater Portland area, practicing out of her home for many years, before joining InterMed. She would often run into former patients who shared heartwarming stories about visiting the sheep and chickens on the family farm after their visit to the doctor. Charlotte’s love for animals never went away. In later years, she grew very attached to her chickens, which she referred to as “the girls”, who were treated like royalty. In return, they produced many eggs that were shared with all.
Her work life and home life were not just balanced, they were intertwined. Somehow, she always seemed to know what her children were up to in the next room while caring for the children in her practice. Despite her busy profession, she managed to be a fixture at whichever pool, rink or field Jen and Tim were playing on, as well as serving as a scout leader for both Cub and Girl Scouts.
After retiring at age 65, time spent with her grandchildren became paramount and was often combined with many hours in the garden. From her perennial fruits and flowers to annual vegetable crops - if it was a plant, Charlotte could make it grow. She freely shared this bounty with her lucky family, as well as the Yarmouth Food Pantry.
Vacation and leisure time was spent on Chebeague Island, with summer nights spent camping on their land before eventually building a home there. There were winter trips to Naples, Florida to escape the cold, and summer weeks spent in Nantucket with close family friends.
Charlotte and Tim were active members of the Foreside Community Church for many years, before joining the First Parish Congregational Church in Yarmouth about 15 years ago. This community was a great source of support and connection for both Tim and Charlotte.
Her family feels extraordinarily grateful for the devoted love and care provided by the staff at the Mooring on Foreside, where Charlotte lived for the past five years.
Charlotte is survived by her son Timothy Carnes Jr, wife Sandy and children Sadie and Colby of Yarmouth, daughter Jennifer Carnes Wright, husband Patrick and children Lily and Sawyer of Woolwich, as well as her brother Damon Cummings of Gloucester MA. She was predeceased by her husband Timothy Carnes Sr.
A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, January 11th at 11am at the First Parish Congregational Church of Yarmouth 116 Main Street, with reception to follow at 317 Main Community Music Center at 317 Main Street in Yarmouth.
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