Vendela Carlson
(1946 – 2024)
Vendela Elaine Carlson, 77, passed away on Saturday, November 2, at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, Massachusetts. She was surrounded by friends and family.
A native of Portland, Maine, she was born on December 27, 1946, to the late Velma Irene Flannery Carlson of Fort Fairfield, Maine, and John Enar Carlson of Lulea, Sweden. She graduated from Deering High School in Portland in 1965 and immediately set out for Boston, where she lived the rest of her life. She graduated from Bryant and Stratton Commercial School in 1966 and worked as a secretary at the First National Bank of Boston. One year later, she joined the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMB). After working as an administrative assistant in the Sociology Department for three years, Vendela joined the Philosophy Department in 1970, a position she held until her passing.
Dedicating 57 years of her life to UMB, Vendela had a profound impact on the atmosphere and character of the Philosophy Department. She made the office a warm, friendly, and welcoming place: her personality was a true force of gravity that drew everyone into the office. Stopping by to grab a sweet treat from Ven’s Bakery and chat with her was always a great pleasure and a relief from the pressures of teaching. In many ways, Vendela was a cornerstone of the Philosophy Department – a steady anchor, grounding everyone through many transitions over the years. It is almost impossible to imagine the Philosophy Department without her.
A lifelong lover of sweets, Vendela created exquisite cakes, cookies, brownies, and other treats for coworkers and students as well as friends and family around the country. She even visited Hershey Park in Hershey, PA, every year to celebrate her love of chocolate. Everyone loved her holiday cookies, particularly her Gingerbread men, which she shared during the holiday season. She especially loved M&Ms, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and decadent chocolate cake!
Vendela also worked for nearly 20 years at Fenway Park, catering to visitors in the restaurants while cheering for the Red Sox or enjoying a concert. She especially loved operating the ice cream cart, building sundaes in Red Sox helmets and loading them up with syrup, candy, and all the toppings. Starting in 2006, she worked nearly every home game for the Red Sox and reveled in the championship celebrations in 2007, 2013, and 2018. She loved sharing the experience with family and friends and built strong friendships at Fenway.
In recent years, she explored new adventures with friends, including going to concerts, casinos and on two cruises. She especially loved seeing Queen in 2023 and going to Disney World and on a Disney cruise to the Bahamas in October of this year.
Vendela was a loving daughter, sister, aunt, and friend. She was predeceased by her father, John E. Carlson, her mother, Velma (née Flannery) Carlson, her sister, Brenda Louise Carlson Fertitta, and her partner of many years, Douglas John Murray. She is survived by her brother-in-law Frank Fertitta, nieces Allyson Venugopal (Vineet) and Amy Stephens (Robert), nephew Andy Fertitta (Dawn), grandniece Caroline Fertitta, and grandnephews Andrew Fertitta, James Stephens, and John Stephens.
A celebration of her life and work will be held on December 5th, at 12:00PM at UMass Boston, Campus Center, 3rd floor, Ballroom C (3550C), with a reception at 12:00PM, followed by a memorial service at 12:45pm. A second celebration will be held the following day at Brooklawn Memorial Park in Portland, Maine, at 2:30PM. Friends and family are invited to attend both.
The Philosophy Department at UMB has established a scholarship in memory of Vendela Carlson. Monetary contributions can be made to the Vendela Carlson Memorial Scholarship Fund: www.umb.edu/vendelacarlsonscholarship. In lieu of flowers, the family would be grateful for any support of the scholarship fund.