Here is a dialogue among Merritt Mann, wife Judy, and me (his brother Dick) concerning Matt Carpenter, on February 28, 2025, at Royal Health Braintree Nursing Home, where Merritt was recovering from a serious stroke in mid-January.
I started by mentioning that there was a Memorial Service for Matt tomorrow (March 1), and Merritt responded: “I’d heard a lot about Matt through the years, but he was more than I could have imagined. He was a compassionate guy, who loved ENC.”
At another point, Merritt stated, “He was an unusual guy; unusually friendly. A mixture of pride, and disappointment, the way things ended.” (i.e, with ENC closing)
When asked by Judy: “Did you think he was capable of that…; that he’d do a good job at it? (i.e. dealing with ENC alumni), Merritt responded: “He spread good will wherever he went.”
When asked if he thought he (i.e. Matt) would endeavor to get people together, Merritt answered: “I think he would. That was part of his natural DNA“.
When asked by Judy, how he felt about Matt, Merritt said, “He was a terriffic guy. Impeccable love for ENC. And wanting to see the future of ENC go on.”
Dick Mann
Manri02@yahoo.com