Carla L. Grillo Obituary
Carla L. Grillo, 71, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, passed away on March 28, 2026, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.
Carla was born on November 3, 1954, to the former Mayor of Gloucester, Hon. Joseph J. Grillo and Madeline Letitia (Selig) Grillo, both of whom taught English at Gloucester High School for over 25 years. Mayor Grillo was the first Italian American mayor of Gloucester, serving in the 1950s. Both parents predeceased Carla, as did her beloved older sister, Paula C. Grillo.
A proud graduate of Gloucester Public Schools, Carla briefly studied architecture at Harvard. She completed her undergraduate studies at Cornell in Ithaca, NY where she majored in psychology. Carla went on to receive her Masters in Management/Finance at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management in Evanston, IL.
Upon graduation, Carla moved to New York where she led and mentored teams in her years on Wall Street, working at several high-profile investment banking firms including Citi and Bank of America. Post Wall Street, Carla continued to use her extensive business and financial experience as a strategic advisor to CEOs and founders, and boards.
After relocating back to her hometown, Carla became a first-time author – researching and writing the book, The Past Is A Present. Over five years in the making, the book is in memory of her parents – and is a loving tribute to her city, Gloucester, MA and 28 senior citizens, affectionately known as the Gloucester 28. Carla interviewed each senior and collected their photos and memorabilia to complete each of their life stories.
A true Renaissance woman, Carla's passion for her work was equaled by her passion for books, reading, and travel. While she traveled internationally for business, she particularly loved spending her leisure time in Italy and the UK. With a deep love of architecture, art, literature, photography, and all things Shakespeare, Carla sought out those passions in her readings and journeys.
Carla loved hockey and played on the women's varsity hockey team at Cornell. She was a die-hard Boston Bruins fan.
Carla is survived by several cousins, and many lifelong friends across the country and around the world.
Visiting hours will be held on Friday, April 17 at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. A funeral mass will immediately follow at 11 a.m. A private burial will be held at a future date.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Carla's memory to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital [https://www.stjude.org].
