Anna Carlson

Anna T. (Napoleone) Carlson, of Loudon NH, passed away April 27, 2023, from complications with leukemia. She was born July 24, 1945, in Plymouth Massachusetts and spent the first 30 years of her life in the Boston area before moving to Bow, NH in 1974 and ultimately to Loudon.

Anna’s lifelong passion was music, starting as a baby when she would kick her feet, making known her preferences as her mother played the piano. By her high school years, she was an accomplished pianist, playing with various music ensembles including the Westwood High School Jazz Band with whom she had the honor of performing at the Newport Jazz Festival. After graduating Westwood High, Anna continued her classical piano training at Boston University and would go on to become a lifelong music educator. For over 50 years she would teach, coach, and inspire her students through classroom education and choral, band, and orchestra ensembles. She truly loved producing musicals with them. While still in college, Anna began teaching private piano lessons and would continue doing so until her final days. In recent years, she was the Music Director for the Northwood Congregational Church.

Anna’s musical talents were not limited to the piano. She “dabbled” with numerous instruments: woodwind, brass, string. Her rich alto voice and perfect pitch made her a welcome member of several prominent New England Choirs including the Handel & Haydn Society (Boston), the Manchester Choral Society and the Concord Chorale. She found great joy playing the euphonium with the Hopkinton Town Band and at the age of 74, decided to take serious violin lessons with her 3-year-old granddaughter!

Anna’s zest for life was remarkable. She loved New Hampshire, especially the White Mountains and prided herself on having scaled all the peaks of the Presidential Range. She camped across the country visiting most of the states. She had a strong entrepreneurial spirit creating “The Anna Carlson Music Studio”, quilting business “Log Cabin Creations” and “Liliana Flower Farm”, where she grew over 300 varieties of day lilies. She was an avid bridge player achieving life master status and enjoyed practicing Tai Chi. She loved animals, especially cats. But, most important to her were family and friends. She is survived by her children, Karen Carlson & Elvi Saldanha, Alan Carlson & Doyin Cole and grandchildren Annabelle, Isaiah, Daniel, and baby Dora. She was the oldest of 5 girls and leaves her siblings Nancy & Peter Cox, Cathy & Dan Lapp, Dorrie Napoleone & Jim Fiorato, and Maria Napoleone & Skip Walter, several nieces and nephews and many close and loving friends.

Please join us at Liliana Flower Farm at 140 Beck Rd, Loudon NH, July 22, 2023 at 2 pm to celebrate her life among the blooming daylilies. Donations in her memory may be made to the Concord Chorale, (concordchorale.org) or the Hopkinton Town Band, (hopkintontownband.org)

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.bennettfuneral.com for the Carlson family.