Jake Carney

John Francis “Jake” Carney, III, of Danvers, Massachusetts was born on October 22, 1981 and passed away suddenly on Friday, October 23, 2020, the morning following his 39th birthday. Jake is survived by his mother and stepfather, Patricia and Barry FitzGerald of Danvers; his father and stepmother, John and Debra Carney Jr. of Seabrook, NH; his grandmother Rosemary Carney of Newburyport; his step-grandmother Patricia FitzGerald of Middleton, his sister Julie Carney of Danvers; his sister and brother-in-law Sarah and Michael Morrissey of Worcester and their children Emily and Robert (“Bo”); his step-brother Paul Friedel and his girlfriend and daughter Alyssa and Cailee Rose of South Glens Falls, NY; his girlfriend and her son Emily and Sean Sweeney of Scituate; and a near hundred loving Aunts, Uncles, cousins, and close family. Jake loved to spend time with his family and friends. He enjoyed any activity that kept him outdoors and he often kayaked, fished, snowboarded, and camped. His favorite season was the spring because “all of the colors would return.” He always manned the grill at gatherings with a beer in hand and a smile on his face. Jake had an instinctive talent for all things industrial. He could fix anything and no job was too big for him. He always wore orange, his favorite winter hats were the ones his mother knit him, there isn’t a truck he drove that he didn’t take a selfie in, and he kept his sunglasses snuggly tucked on the top of his ballcap at all times. He spent his final professional years as a CDL driver, working for PA Landers out of Hanover. He spent his lifetime helping others with anything they needed. Above all, Jake loved his family more than anything in the world. He often dropped everything to help a family member with whatever they needed – from landscaping, scraping a house, laying a new floor, or closing a pool to comforting hugs, words of support, or goofy laughter. He organized fundraisers for his sister’s Dana-Farber Marathon Challenge team, participated in an annual golf tournament in his beloved Uncle Mike’s name, and streamlined a packing assembly line for a cousin’s new business. He always said, “I love you,” to his family before he’d hang up the phone. Jake loved his niece and nephew fiercely. He taught Emily and Bo how to jump off the diving board. He took Emily to see Santa for the first time – even though he knew she would be too young to remember it. He shared his favorite mac-and-cheese with them, and now they refuse to eat any other kind. He was their superhero. He leaves them memories full of laughter and an overwhelming sense of love. His first and closest friends were all of his cousins. He was the first to show up to a gathering and likely to be the last one to leave. He found ways to make them laugh, even in the toughest times. Jake will be remembered by them for his little acts of kindness and his ridiculously contagious laugh. He leaves each and every cousin with a “Jake story” that will help them through this difficult time. The other loves in Jake’s life were his girlfriend, Emily, and her son Sean. The love he had for them is immeasurable and everlasting. He leaves them with the knowledge that he would have done absolutely anything for them and that he will always be looking over them. Gregarious and witty, Jake made friends wherever he went, and he went a lot of places. Florida, Oregon, Vermont, Maine, Colorado, and New Hampshire are sprinkled with people who knew and loved Jake. He spoke about his travels fondly and looked forward to traveling more. Friendships meant a lot to Jake. He made newcomers feel welcome and old foes feel forgiven. He leaves his friends with memories of his generous heart and we ask that they share with others as he did. Services for Jake will be private. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in his honor to either the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) in memory of his beloved Grandfather Norris “Buck” Denneler who he admired and missed greatly, or to the American Heart Association (www.heart.org) in memory of his beloved Uncle Mike (Paul) Carney who he idolized. Most importantly, we ask that you remember Jake by living your life with kindness and spreading your love as generously as he did.