Diane Carter

Diane Carter (Marchetta), age 73, passed away on January 25, 2022 after suffering a medical emergency. She was surrounded by all of her children and grandchildren.

A real life firecracker, Diane was born on July 4, 1948. Raised in Belmont, MA, the youngest of four children, Diane loved her parents dearly, and had a special relationship with her neighbor Annie Arria that she cherished for her entire life.

Living life on her own terms, Diane was unconventional in everything she did. She moved through life making her own path and always following her heart.

As a young adult, Diane moved to Cambridge, which, while just a short drive from Belmont, represented an entirely new world. As she often said, “Once I found the trolley to Harvard Square, I never looked back.” Always a trailblazer, when Diane married in 1967, interracial marriages were still illegal in 17 states.

Diane held a number of jobs over her lifetime, from administrative roles, to postal worker to Window Display Designer. She brought her signature style, boundless creativity and unmatched organizational skills to everything she did. More than the content of her work though, Diane loved the people she worked with. And they loved her. Through her work, Diane made friends that lasted a lifetime and became part of her extended family.

Diane made an impact on everyone she met. She was both an amazing storyteller and intuitive life force. People were drawn to her energy, and she made friends everywhere she went and with people from all walks of life. Diane’s love language was acts of service, and if you were loved by Diane you were showered with her pampering and special, individualized care.

In 1987, Diane made another life-changing move to St. Thomas, USVI where, alongside the love of her life and life partner, she created a beautiful home and, at the age of 41, gave birth to her youngest child. In 1996 a hurricane blew her north to Florida and then when her first granddaughter was born she came further north, back to Massachusetts in 2000.

Diane was always happiest being with her children and loved being a mother and grandmother more than anything else in the world. She was fully dedicated to her children and grandchildren, and poured all of her being into creating the life she wanted for her family. Diane was an exceptional homemaker and cook. She was known for her style, her beautiful eyes, her vivacious spirit, and her warm and generous nature.

Seven years ago Diane moved to Milton, MA to live in a two-family home with her daughters and granddaughter upstairs. She always talked about how the apartment reminded her of her childhood home and how happy it made her to live together with her adult children and grandchild.

Diane had been struggling with Dementia for several years. She had been living at home and being cared for by her children. While it was often difficult for all of us, Diane was incredibly happy and still had all of her humor, personality and sass. Every day was an adventure!

Diane will be forever missed by her family. She leaves behind her children Robert (Carter), Michelle (Farnum), Nicole (Carter) and Jared (Bellot) and her granddaughters Aliyah (Farnum) and Elle (Carter) as well as her life partner, Cuthbert (Bellot). She also leaves her siblings Robert (Marchetta) and Sherry (Hanley) along with her nephews and nieces. She was

preceded in death by her brother Richard (Marchetta) and parents Constantino and Gertrude (Marchetta).

A funeral will be held on February 9, 2022 at St. John’s the Evangelist Church, 2254 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge at 10:00 am. The internment will be private. A full celebration of Diane’s life will take place in early summer (July 4th, of course!). Immediate family and friends are invited to join the family after the service at the VFW Cambridge, 688 Huron Avenue for storytelling, love sharing and togetherness

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