About
April Robb Obituary
Born in New York City to David Robb and Jane (McKinnes) Robb, she grew up in Winnetka, Illinois, attended Bryn Mawr College, and spent her adult life in greater Boston, living in Concord for the last 17 years.
April faced her cancer in the same way she lived her life: determinedly and pragmatically. Embracing the phrase "you get what you get and you don't get upset," she underwent multiple hospitalizations, two brain surgeries, immunotherapy, whole-brain radiation, and physical and occupational therapy while maintaining a resilient mindset that was an inspiration to all who knew her. She did this all while caring for and planning for the future of her family and loved ones. As the end neared, she suggested future family trips, partially wrote this obituary, and planned parts of her celebration of life.
April's greatest joys were her family and children. She volunteered at elementary school lunches, enthusiastically cheered on high school runners and skiers, sent college care packages, made her delicious pancakes and waffles for family breakfasts, and gave constant reminders about upcoming events, driving safely, and locking doors.
She shared her life with a wide circle of friends and work colleagues, championing group camping trips, joint dog walks, and dinners out and at home, including hosting an annual "Winter Banquet" for 50+ people with her husband. As a work colleague, she was known as someone you wanted to travel with, and for her honesty, wit, fierceness, enthusiasm, mentorship, and empathy.
April was drawn to animals, from her childhood subscription to Fancy Pigeon magazine to her horse Clark who she rode in show jumping competitions for 10 years, to the birds she kept fed in the backyard, and especially to her beloved standard poodles Marble and Luna. April loved the outdoors and exercise; it was arguable whether her daily dog walks in conservation land were more for the dogs or for her! She loved travel, both professional and personal, and had the chance to enjoy many trips across the globe from Europe to South America, Asia, and Africa.
April had a varied career in content creation and marketing, focusing on non-profits and early-stage tech start-ups. In her last professional position at the International Fund for Animal Welfare, she combined this expertise with her love of animals. April had a long history of volunteering, including advocating for abortion rights, the AIDS Action Committee hotline, teaching arts and crafts at MCI-Framingham, serving on the Concord Children's Center board, and organizing the Thoreau School Spelling Bee.
While April was sorry to leave her family on the early side, she was thankful to have lived a privileged and lucky life in many respects.
April will be forever missed by her husband of 25 years, David Carter, her children, Audrey and Jonah Carter, her sister, Heather O'Donnell and her husband Brian of Skokie, IL, her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and their partners, several uncles, an aunt and numerous cousins. She was predeceased by her parents.
Her family would like to thank her team of doctors, including Dr. Jennifer Lin, formerly of BWH, and Dana Farber, who oversaw a course of treatment for her early-stage melanoma that allowed her to maintain an extremely high quality of life for almost 10 years, and the team at MGH who cared for her after metastases were found in May of 2024: Dr. Ryan Sullivan, and NP Riley Fadden, Dr. Ariel Marciscano, Dr. Daniel Cahill and Dr. Nancy Wang. They would also like to thank the team at Care Dimensions Hospice House in Lincoln for caring for and ensuring April's comfort in her final weeks.
Family and friends will gather for visiting hours from 5 to 8 pm on Friday, January 31st at the 1780 House, 15 Monument Street, Concord Center. A celebration of life ceremony followed by a lunch reception will be held at 12 pm on Saturday, February 1st at Nosh, 97 Lowell Road, Concord. April's family encourages all who attend to consider casual attire. Private burial will take place at Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of April can be made to:
(1) The Mass General Hospital Melanoma Research Fund
a. Checks can be mailed to Massachusetts General Hospital c/o Development Office, Attn: Lauren Dello Russo, 125 Nashua Street, Suite 540, Boston, MA 02114." Donors should make checks payable to Massachusetts General Hospital and include "Melanoma Research Fund" with April's name on the memo line.
b. Online donations may be made at giving.massgeneral.org. Please follow these steps:
i. Go to the website giving.massgeneral.org.
ii. Click the "Give Now" button on the top right
iii. Select the dollar amount
iv. In the Make this gift in tribute to... section, include April's full name
v. Enter your payment information
vi. In the Designate this gift to specific program section, include "Melanoma Research Fund"
(2) Care Dimensions Hospice, 75 Sylvan Street, Suite B-102, Danvers, MA 01923
Arrangements are entrusted to Dee Funeral Home & Cremation Service of Concord.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
3 Entries
Michael Jeng
April 15, 2025
To the family of April Robb:
I am sorry to hear about April´s passing. Although we have never met and you likely never have heard of April speak of me, I wanted to let you know April was a special person and dear friend to me, someone for whom I am so grateful that on our journey through life, our paths crossed. I write this as I fly to Philadelphia; a city I think which April flew to many times while she was a student at Bryn Mawr.
In the spring of 1987, a group of 6 visiting students to Harvard somehow found each other. I can´t really remember the first time we met, but I vaguely remember walking to an orientation up steps to a building called Dudley Hall. Our group included Ayano, Padma, Hide, Stephanie, April, and me. Our fondness for each other was immediate and we formed a bond organically. We spent a lot of time together and as a group we were inseparable. I will always think of April with a book bag slung across her shoulder, never a backpack, wearing military boots and a long skirt, sometimes with a scarf, and always understated and modest, a deep thinker and an old soul. I remember she was always cold too. Her big round eyes staring at whoever was lucky enough to command her focus. April was one of the best listeners I know, she had the gift of making you feel you were interesting, you were important, and that you mattered.
I last remember walking with April on Commonwealth Avenue, as she showed me the place where she was working, for a non-profit organization. I don´t remember when that was or what we talked about, but I just remember that day and the sun was shining down on April like a spotlight. Her hair was glowing, she was almost like an angel and otherworldly. I know she would scoff at me saying this and we would laugh so much. I am so saddened that I will never be able to tell April how much her friendship means to me. There were no cell phones, no email, no internet when we met. April was truly part of the glue that kept us together. I don´t know if April spoke about us much, or at all. I do know that as we lose loved ones, we try to piece together their lives and often wonder about photos we come across. If you see a group that seems to be in Cambridge or Boston, around 1987 or 1988 with 2 Asian men (Hide or Michael), an Asian woman (Ayano), an Indian woman (Padma), or a blond Caucasian woman (Steph), you will know it is our group, and boy did we have fun!
It is through hearing about April´s passing that several of us have reconnected. Many of us lost touch with each other for almost 40 years, but have often thought of each other during this time and when we get together it is as if no time has passed. I cherish the time we had together, to be part of something so magical and special in life. I´m grateful that my journey in life allowed me to cross paths with April. Everyone in our small group, individually and collectively, misses April dearly. I wish we could laugh with April one more time, and am so sorry for your loss. Although April won´t be with us physically, she will never be absent and will continue to be a presence whenever any of us meet. Michael Jeng
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Michael Jeng
April 14, 2025
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