Obituary of Scott E. Carlson

Scott E. Carlson, 62, of Salem, NH, formerly of Woburn, MA, passed away on Thursday, January 29, 2026.  He was the loving husband of Merri Carlson.

Born and raised in Woburn, he was the son of the late Norman, and the late Sonja (Stenquist) Carlson.  Scott was a carpenter by trade and took great pleasure in making items with his hands.  Scott began a career in manufacturing parts in 1992.  Working outside was preferable to Scott and in his career he did landscaping as well.

Scott thoroughly enjoyed motorcycle riding.  For many years each June, Scott could be found with family and friends at Laconia Motorcycle Week.  He appreciated being on the open road and enjoying all that nature and scenic views could provide.

Scott purchased a pop up trailer and eventually a tow behind in 2007.  For many years the family enjoyed camping trips.  The family traveled to Umbagog Lake in New Hampshire, Point Sebago in Maine, New York City, and of course Blaisdell Lake.

Every camping night was an opportunity to have a fire.  Scott made an art of toasting marshmallows.  These marshmallows were golden brown on the outside and melting marshmallow on the inside.  Scott loved sitting by the fire and just reflecting on the day.  This was usually followed by a very exciting game of Scat for bragging rights.

Scott also had a passion for hockey.  He enjoyed playing both street and ice hockey, but nothing was better to Scott than pond hockey.  He cleaned the ice on Millville Lake many times so the kids could play and skate there.

In 2016, Scott started having medical issues.  In 2022, he had a heart attack that eventually resulted in him having a Heart Transplant. His medical health took another downward spiral in September of 2025, when his Squamous Cell Carcinoma became very aggressive.  After a 10 year battle with many obstacles along the way, Scott passed away.

Scott is survived by his wife of 34 years, Merri (Abruzzese) Carlson.  He is also survived by one daughter, Kristina Carlson and her fiancé Kevin Murphy of Buford GA; one son and his wife, Jared and Natalie Carlson of Hillsborough NH.  He is also survived by one sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Ed Clements of Salem NH.

In addition to his parents Norman and Sonja Carlson of Salem, NH, Scott was predeceased by his sister Lori Carlson of Billerica, MA, and his brother Kurt Carlson of Woburn, MA.

Visiting hours will be at the Arthur P. Graham Funeral Home, 3 Arlington Rd., Woburn, MA on Friday, February 6 from 5:00-7:00pm, followed by a funeral service in the funeral home at 7:00 pm.  In lieu of flowers, contribution in Scott’s memory may be made to the Corrigan Minehan Heart Center at Massachusetts General Hospital, c/o Development Office, 125 Nashua St., Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114-1101 (giving.massgeneral.org/donate) or Blood Cancer United, P.O. Box 98018, Washington, DC 20090-8018. (bloodcancerunited.org)