NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — John "Johnnie" Carrier, 60, of North Adams passed peacefully away on April 3, 2020, after a long illness.
A graduate of Lansingburg (N.Y.) High School and the "School of Life," he was the son of Earl "Bud" Carrier and Catherine "Cappy" Carrier of Lansingburg.
Johnnie truly loved life and all that it offered. He would make everyone he met feel at ease and leave them with a laugh. He was a renaissance man in the truest form. He was a graduate of Barnum-Bailey-Ringling Brother Clown College and joined Circus Vargus on the West Coast. After moving back East, he joined the improv group and attended Boston College. He became a disc jockey, first working in Bennington, Vt., then joined the former WNMB in North Adams. While there he became Santa Claus on the air every Christmas Eve, trying to grant every child's wish for more than 25 years. During this time, he taught himself to play the guitar and wrote songs, many of which he would play over the years at different venues in the area.
John worked at Johnson School as an assistant teacher, hoping to make an impact on the students there. He also worked at Berkshire Family and Individual Resources as a job coach to try to better the lives of the disabled. He enjoyed writing a weekly column in the former North Adams Transcript, sharing his exploits and his life with his family. Lastly, he was employed as a salesman at RacingJunk in North Adams, where he enjoyed the travel and connecting with people all over the country.
Not without his demons, he loved to make people laugh. He loved music and was always the first one on the dance floor. John fished for hours, bet on horses and wrote columns for Horse Racing Nation. He loved building model trains and would be assisted by Richard Haskins; he looked forward to playing golf each year at Stamford (Vt.) Valley Golf Course. He loved his Mets and Giants, much to the torture of Nick Moulton.
John leaves behind his two loves, his wife, Dawn Luskin-Carrier; and his son, David, his proudest accomplishment. He leaves his sisters, Earlene Topper of Troy, N.Y., and Marianne (Joe) MacCaffrey; nieces Jenna and Sean Hanratty and their daughter, Grace, and Beth Topper; and a nephew, Conor MacCaffrey.
He is going to be missed by his brothers- and sisters-in-law and especially Kim Micklas; many nieces, nephews, cousins and all their children who gave him great joy. He leaves behind his good friend Matthew Volks and all the friends who meant so much to him. He thanks you for your friendship over the years.
He is predeceased by his brother, Harold.
Funeral notice: At the request of the family, a celebration of Mr. Carrier's life will be held at a later date. Donations may be made to the Al Nelson Friendship Center Food Bank of North Adams in care of Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Homes, Central Chapels, 74 Marshall St., North Adams, MA 01247. To add to the book of memories, please visit www.flynndagnolifunerahomes.com.