George Gerard "Jerry" Carter, of Abington, MA, beloved husband, father, grandfather, passed away on July 24, 2025. He was 73.

A native of Quincy, MA, who grew up in Rockland, MA, Jerry is survived by Holly Carter, (of Taunton, MA) his wife of 48 years; daughters Christina Schena of  Newburyport, MA, Stefanie Eaton of Lakeville, MA, Michelle Carter of Cranston, RI, and Erika Carter of Rhode Island; and Christina's husband, Mark, their daughter Julia and sons Luke and Charles; Stefanie's husband Ryan, their son Alexander and daughter Abigail; and Michelle's husband, Anthony Puliafico Jr. He was preceded by his parents George H. Carter and Mary A. Riley.

Jerry worked many jobs, including positions in construction and at the Quincy Shipyard, before making a career with the Hingham Water Company, now the Weir River Water System. He rose to the position of water treatment plant operator, overseeing the water supply for Hingham, Hull, and Cohasset, before his retirement in 2013. A strong sense of fairness and deep empathy made him an even-tempered but firm negotiator as the union president representing the United Steelworkers Local 13492.

Jerry's first priority, though, was his family. He loved Holly deeply, not just as his wife but as his closest friend; showing that opposites really do attract.  They were rarely apart, sharing many laughs together, along with the simple joys of life side by side. Jerry lost his own father at a young age, and that drove him to be a loving, involved parent for his daughters, who learned from him compassion and respect for hard work and loyalty. He loved cards and game nights, and was a stickler for rules. His daughters warmly recalled him becoming increasingly frustrated by one game of Clue that went on for hours due to everyone else's poor grasp of the game's guidelines.

Though often soft-spoken himself, Jerry hosted boisterous Thanksgiving and holiday dinners that for decades doubled as annual reunions for his extended family. His daughters and the many nieces and nephews who spent childhood holidays playing beneath his dining room table returned in recent years to celebrate the holidays in the same room with their own children. That commitment to family led Jerry and Holly to adopt their niece, Erika, in 1995. She was 5 at the time, and would likely have been placed with a foster family had Jerry and Holly not opened their home to her.

A self-taught craftsman and natural fixer, Jerry frequently said, "Measure twice, cut once." He and Holly bought their first home in 1979, and he lived there the rest of his life. Over the decades, he did plumbing, electrical work, and roof repairs that kept the home in excellent condition. He personally constructed an extensive addition that expanded the small starter home into a place that could comfortably house a family of six.

Jerry was passionate about his Irish heritage and kept a shillelagh on the wall of his living room. He loved summers on Cape Cod with family and Boston sports, closely following the Patriots, Bruins, Red Sox, and Celtics even through the teams' lean years. He owned dogs most of his life, and in retirement became especially close to his beagle, Shadow, who died in 2020. Jerry was never comfortable as the center of attention and faced declining health over the past two years with dignity and an insistence on privacy. In his last years, he was the patriarch of a sprawling, joyful family who now treasure his legacy of humility, kindness, and generosity. Though he is greatly missed, the imprint he left on his family will never fade or be forgotten, and his life lessons will be passed on through each future generation.

Visitation will be held at the Quealy & Son Funeral Home, 116 Adams Street, Abington on Wednesday, July 30, from 4pm to 7pm. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Bridget Church, Abington on Thursday, July 31 at 10:30am.