Carolie Hubbard Obituary
Carolie Hubbard, 89, of Gloucester, passed away on January 2, 2026. She was the devoted wife of the late Frederick Hubbard. Our Mother was not a worldly woman. Born in 1936 into a big family she was the daughter of a fisherman as so many Gloucester families have been for centuries. Times were likely tough for most in those Depression Era years, and the Anderson family was no exception. Their first home did not have indoor plumbing but there were certainly no complaints until one day her paternal grandfather swung in and moved them into his larger, more comfortable home on Eastern Ave where she grew up.
She remembers this as a defining moment in her life. Throughout her life she loved all of her siblings deeply and was always happy around them and proud of both brothers and sisters. She worked various jobs growing up including babysitting for a fisherman's wife while he was out at sea, and bookkeeping at LePages after high school. In her mid-60s she discovered she qualified for Social Security, the first time she had her 'own money' in her married life. True to form almost all of that new found money was spent on presents for her cherished grandchildren.
If someone was going back to college or simply had big plans for the weekend, or needed a little extra, she'd discreetly tuck a $20 or a $50 into their pocket, never making a big deal of it, she'd simply give them a little wink and a kiss on the cheek. Mom loved each of her 14 grandchildren unequivocally, whether someone was doing well in school or sports or struggling a bit. Never once was her heart not full of love and pride when she saw one of her grandkids. This continued on to her great grandchildren, she lit up like a beacon whenever she saw any of them.
In fact at the end, when sadly no longer very responsive, her four year old great-granddaughter came by to hold her hand and she mouthed with a faint smile 'the baby'. She was ALWAYS available to assist all of her kids as we started careers and raising families of our own. When babysitting, as small and sweet as she was, Mom was always in complete control. If she told one of the grandkids 'NO' that was the end of the story, no more discussion and they all obeyed her, no questions. Perhaps the luckiest of all however were her seven children.
Our memories include having a home-cooked breakfast before school every day of our lives. When money was tight there was always plenty of food which Mom bought, cooked, and cleaned up after, never with one word of complaint. She was simply exhibiting the special gene she was born with, that of a mother. A warm chocolate cake or cookies after school seemed to always be available. Seven children in a small cape before Pampers were invented, I'll let the reader do the math there. Whether one of us was making a basket, fielding a ground ball, or hitting the 'perfect note' on her trombone, it was Mom we could hear in the background cheering louder than anyone.
Our Dad predeceased her and we loved him deeply but if you needed someone to play catch with or show you how to shoot a basketball, it was Mom. She excelled at the little things. Nobody on earth was better at removing a splinter after you came home from playing in the woods. She was an avid knitter and patcher of holes in our clothes, and just so many endless loads of laundry. Her tombstone reads 'she devoted her life to raising our family' and no truer words were ever spoken. Mom was selfless. She may not have been worldly but she positively nailed the most important job of all, taking care of her family.
Testimony to that was in her final weeks her hospital room and later in her cherished home where she wanted to spend her remaining time on this earth, she was surrounded by three generations of us daily and hourly. From humble working class roots as most on this island were, she was absolutely the best that Gloucester can offer, that mold has been broken and will never be replicated. Carolie is survived by her seven children, Robin, John and his wife Janine, Marcia, Mark, Paul and his wife Trish, Amy and her husband Dave, Mary and her husband Pete.
She is also survived by her sister, Sharon and her husband Tony, and brother-in- law, Jack. Mom adored her grandchildren; Oliver, Ainsley, Lara, Paulie, Amber, Brittany, Jarrad, Anya, Troy, Maggie, Caitie, Shane, Jordan and Owen, as well as her great-grandchildren; Jackson, Lilly, Harper, Abraham, Evelyn and Emelia. We all adored her. Services will be private in the spring. Donations can be made in her name to The Open Door, 28 Emerson Avenue, Gloucester MA 01930.
