Francis R. Carroll, business and civic leader, helper of the poor, less fortunate

Francis R. Carroll, a business and civic leader whose philanthropy stretched from war-ravaged Korea and Vietnam to Worcester’s neediest neighborhoods, died on Oct. 29.

In a statement, Bishop McManus remembered Mr. Carroll. He said, “As we bid our final farewell to Frank Carroll, I think he will be best remembered for his having led by example, not merely by words. His spirit of gratitude for all the graces that God bestowed upon him was his inspiration to work so tirelessly for the good of others. Frank has not just left us a legacy of programs and buildings. His greater legacy lives in all the volunteers who have been inspired by him to feed the poor, to help those in need, to remember those who served us in the armed forces, and to support those who inspire us through the arts ...”

Mr. Carroll leaves his wife, Carole Anne Carroll; his children and their spouses, Brian K. Carroll and his wife, June L. Carroll, Lisa M. Carroll and her husband, Michael T. Nockunas, all of Worcester, and Kathleen M. Featherston and her husband, Paul Featherston, of Fairfield, Connecticut; his grandchildren, Thomas and Keith Carroll of Worcester and Brendan Carroll of Mystic, Connecticut, Charles Featherston (Claire) of Connecticut, James Featherston of Los Angeles, Daniel Featherston (Haley)  of Philadelphia, and Margaret Featherston of Nantucket; three great grandchildren; a stepdaughter, Brittany A. Cronin of Auburn; his brother Thomas J. Carroll and his wife, Sidell, of LaJolla, California; and two sisters, Nancy Glassick of Las Vegas and Barbara Emerson of LaJolla.

He was pre-deceased in 2015 by his wife of 56 years, Mary (Pepka) Carroll; his son, Kevin F. Carroll in 1998, his sisters and their husbands, Patricia A. and Jack Greenlaw, and Joan and Ernie Lamarche, and a brother, Cornelius Joseph Carroll.

Mr. Carroll founded the Small Business Service Bureau Inc., a national small business organization, Sterling Bridge Insurance Agency, Inc. and FRC Realty.

A champion of the poor, he spearheaded the effort to fund and maintain the St. Francis Xavier Center Food for the Poor at St. John’s Church, which provides thousands of morning meals and basic services for the poor. The recipient of numerous awards, Mr. Carroll was also a vigorous advocate for small business and veterans’ causes.

“We must always keep in mind the social reality of those less fortunate,” Mr. Carroll once said.

A city native, he was the son of Cornelius J. and Aurora Carroll.

Mr. Carroll’s love for his father ran deep. His dad, he explained, was a loving, hardworking, single parent who raised six children in a cold water east side tenement. He was also nurtured by the nuns at the former St. John’s Grammar School where his lifelong devotion to the Novena of Grace in honor of St. Francis Xavier began.

At the age of eleven he began honing his business skills by shining shoes on weekends at the Hotel Vernon, the Broadway Spa and his special site, the all-male Shea’s Tavern at Kelley Square, where he held exclusive rights to shine until 12 p.m. When the Korean War broke out, Mr. Carroll, then 17, joined the Navy and served aboard the U.S.S. Hank, DD-702.
Returning home, he worked nights while earning his diploma at Commerce High School and a business degree at Worcester Junior College. With his upbringing, inquisitiveness, and the confidence gained through hard work shining shoes, he soon accomplished his dream by founding his nationally recognized companies.

His love of history, marketing, and the classics also led Mr. Carroll to amass about 500 volumes, many of them rare autographed and first editions. With their shared enthusiasm for history, Mr. Carroll and his son, Brian, founded the U.S. Presidential Museum, an eclectic private collection of autographed letters of the founding fathers of our country and original historic documents.

Mr. Carroll worked tirelessly on behalf of veterans and active military personnel. For example, as Commander of Vernon Hill American Legion Post 435, he spearheaded a project, with the Gold Star Mothers, to build the Living Memorial Hospital in Vietnam’s Central Highlands during the Vietnam War, in memory of the men from Worcester County who died or were still missing in action.

Along with U. S. Rep. James P. McGovern, he worked for the passage of the Crosby-Puller Combat Wounds Compensation Act, so men and women veterans would continue receiving combat pay while recovering from wounds received in action.

Mr. Carroll also spear-headed a nine-year effort to build the Korean War Memorial in downtown Worcester and served as co-chairman of the Telegram and Gazette Operation Mail Call that returned about 1500 letters written during World War II by servicemen from the city to loved ones that were never delivered.

He also exhibited a passion for politics, which took root when he was a 10-year-old passing out sandwiches to poll workers for City Councilor James D. O’Brien. Years later, Mr. Carroll, a Democrat, at the behest of President Gerald R. Ford, was sworn in as a new member of the U.S. Small Business Administration National Advisory Council, and the U. S. China Trade Caucus on Small Business. He was re-appointed by Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald W. Reagan, and George H. W. Bush. General P. X. Kelley, USMC (ret.), former Commandant, appointed him as a director for the prestigious National Legal Center for Public Interest in Washington, D.C.

He had a close friendship with U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, and testified in support of his health care legislation. He was a founding member of the Democratic National Committee Small Business Council, Washington, D.C. He was a member of the 1976 New York Democratic National Convention Committee, the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation Blue Ribbon Committee on Americans with Disabilities, Washington, D.C. and served on the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee.

Locally, Mr. Carroll was a former Grand Marshall of Worcester’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and was the Vernon Hill Post’s Irishman of the Year (1990).

Mr. Carroll, a former Chairman of the Worcester State University Board of Trustees, received honorary doctorates from Assumption University, Anna Maria College, and the former Massachusetts School of Professional Psychology, now William James College, Boston, MA.

He received many awards including: the Parker Trowbridge Award; the Loyal Friendship to Worcester Labor Movement Award; the Worcester Democratic City Committee’s Robert F. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement Award; the Visions program’s Isaiah Thomas Public Service Award; and the Worcester Business Journal’s Entrepreneur of the Year Award.

He was a trustee of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, Boston, St. Vincent Hospital, Worcester, and a member of the Army and Navy Club in Washington D.C.

A Founding and Executive Committee member of the Hanover Theater for the Performing Arts, the City of Worcester has named the area in front of the theatre, Francis R. Carroll Plaza.  A member of The Ancient Order of Hibernians Div. 36, he was an associate member of the Emerald Society of the Greater Worcester Police.

A funeral Mass was held on Nov. 4 at St. John’s Church, 44 Temple St, Worcester. Burial, with military honors, followed at St. John’s Cemetery, 260 Cambridge St.

Memorial contributions may be made to: “St. John’s Food for the Poor,” 44 Temple Street, Worcester, MA 01604. Athy Memorial Home is handling arrangements.