Man of wit, wisdom and kindness
MELROSE — David Tapley Carbonneau, 63, of Melrose passed away from glioblastoma on July 1. He spent his final days at home surrounded by the love of friends and family including his wife of 29 years Kristine, daughter Madeleine, son Lucien and future son-in-law Austin.
David was the eldest of three children, born to Gay and Maurice Carbonneau on July 12, 1961 in Milton. David and his younger sisters Danielle and Dianne, enjoyed a childhood full of music in Quincy where Gay and Maurice were music teachers. David likewise cherished and cultivated this passion in his own household, ensuring a steady diet of “good music” for his children.
David attended Oberlin College, earning his bachelor’s in economics and political science. After working as an economic analyst, he pursued a second bachelor’s in civil engineering at the Lowell Institute of Technology and graduated first in his class. He worked as a consulting civil engineer for several firms including Metcalf & Eddy in Wakefield where he met his future wife. He then became a licensed professional engineer, serving first as the Assistant Town Engineer for Lexington and later as the Town Engineer in Lynnfield. David’s appetite for knowledge was without equal; but so too was his desire to inculcate a love of learning in those around him. After starting a family with Kristine, David decided to become a physics teacher. Following a master’s in education at UMass Boston, he began his career as a teacher in Woburn before accepting a position in Melrose where he would spend the remainder of his career.
David was a well-loved teacher at Melrose High School, evidenced by the generous support he received for the brain cancer treatments he undertook in Germany. He taught physics and, sometimes, chemistry and calculus from 2008 until 2023, counting many esteemed alumni among his protégées including his own children. He switched to teaching business in the last two years of his career before retiring in 2025. David loved leading his students who were often terrified or disinterested in physics (or both) into the mystique of science, sharing and wondering at the elusive ability to explain the “randomness” of the universe. He enjoyed the wit and humor of his students and invested himself in learning their interests and motivations. He was greatly respected by colleagues, administrators and parents alike.
David was immensely proud of his two children. He was equally proud to find with age that they had inherited his unwavering skepticism and penchant for curiosity. When his kids went to college, David loved to challenge himself with their problem sets in advanced statistics and computer science, buying obscure textbooks so he could “catch up.” As a man of the arts, as well as the sciences, David also encouraged Madeleine and Luc to develop their musical talents: learning and playing instruments, writing and performing songs and singing or playing on stage, but also around the kitchen table.
In 2022, David and Kristine found a modest cottage for their own in Downeast Maine. David especially loved the cottage in Fall 2024 when the Maine woods provided respite from the strain of his ongoing treatments, a place where time stood still and the loudest sound was the wind through the wings of the bald eagle who lived across the cove.
David is survived by his wife Kristine, daughter Madeleine, son Lucien and sisters Danielle Carbonneau (Joshua Roberts) and Dianne MacDonald (David MacDonald). He is also survived by 21 nieces and nephews, seven sisters-in-law, scores of first cousins, thousands of former students and his dog Rocky who, despite David’s initial protestations concerning having a family dog, proved a stalwart reading companion for David as he sat in his grandfather’s armchair on Saturday mornings pondering texts from his extensive and eclectic library.
Relatives and friends are warmly invited to gather in honor of David’s life during visiting hours at the Robinson Funeral Home, 809 Main St., Melrose on Saturday, July 19 from 2 to 6 p.m. and on Sunday, July 20 at First Congregational Church in Melrose, 121 W. Foster St., Melrose for his Celebration of Life at 1:30 p.m. All are invited to attend.
The Carbonneau family wishes to endow a scholarship in David’s honor to be awarded annually to a graduate of Melrose High who embraces the characteristics of curiosity, pursuit of knowledge and humility. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution (tax deductible) to David’s lasting legacy which can be made online at this dedicated scholarship link at mhsfund.org/cd_listing/david-carbonneau-memorial-scholarship or via mail to David Carbonneau Memorial Scholarship, c/o MHS Permanent Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 760695, Melrose, MA 02176. The family also intends to direct unspent funds from David’s cancer treatment GoFundMe page to this endeavor, a tangible investment of David’s eternal belief in the promise of young minds. For online tribute, visit RobinsonFuneralHome.com.