Mary Rowe Carlson

Mary Rowe Carlson, OCDS Passed peacefully in hospice care, surrounded by the love of her family, November 19, 2025.

Mary was the beloved wife of Lawrence “Ted” Carlson, with whom she shared a life of deep faith and devotion. She was the cherished mother of Amy Smith Knobloch and Leon Smith IV (Laura); loving grandmother to J.T. Mergenhagen (Lexxy), Joshua Knobloch, Samantha Knobloch; and Olivia Smith and proud great-grandmother of John and Ryan Mergenhagen.

Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Mary always carried her hometown in her heart, but it was Rhode Island where she and Ted built a life together. She came from a large and loving family—Mary had eleven brothers and sisters, and she cherished her many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews.

Mary was a lifelong learner and a woman of extraordinary compassion. She earned a degree in Environmental Design (1976) and later, following her calling to serve others, completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (1991), both at the University at Buffalo. She went on to dedicate 25 years of care and service through the Visiting Nurses Association of Western New York, offering comfort, dignity, and skilled support to countless patients and families.

Her deepest spiritual home was within the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS), where she embraced a life of contemplative prayer, humility, and service in the Carmelite tradition. Her faith was quiet but profound, shaping the way she lived, loved, and cared for others. In Rhode Island, Mary was a member of the Divine Will prayer group.

Her Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Monday November 24, 2025, at 9:30 am at St. Mary Star of the Sea Church, 864 Point Judith Rd., Narragansett, RI 02882. Everyone is asked to go directly to the church. Visiting hours are kindly omitted. Burial will be private.