Charlotte Adele Guertin of Truro died on May 4, 2024 at her daughter’s home in Marblehead after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. She was 90.
The daughter of the late George and Elvira Nilson, Charlotte was born on June 22, 1933 in Boston. She grew up in Roslindale next door to her grandmother, with whom she was close throughout her childhood.
Charlotte’s family bought houses in Truro and Wellfleet in the 1940s. One was near Truro’s Ryder Pond, and another, owned by her uncle, was on Mill Hill Road in Wellfleet. The latter had no electricity, which made summer nights illuminated by kerosene lamps especially memorable.
Charlotte was an honor student who graduated from Roslindale High School at 16 in 1950. Her class yearbook notes that she was voted the student with the “prettiest smile.”
Determined to further her education — she “dreamed of going to law school,” said her daughter, Dale — Charlotte paid her own way through Lasell Junior College in Newton, graduating in 1952.
She was both smart and beautiful, winning several local beauty contests and being chosen for the Jordan Marsh Fashion Board. Charlotte eventually built a career as a fashion model through the Hart Agency in Boston.
Although she appeared in several nationally broadcast commercials, she worked mostly locally as a runway and advertising model for fashion catalogs and department stores, including Jordan Marsh, Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Bonwit Teller, and Filene’s, and she appeared almost daily in print ads in the Boston Globe and Boston Herald.
She was also the mother of two children and an excellent teacher, said Dale. Charlotte worked for many years at Filene’s Charm School beginning in the early 1970s.
In 1973, she married Daniel Guertin, and they settled in Yarmouth Port. Their lives were filled with travel, family, and friends. After Daniel died, Charlotte moved to her family’s summer house on Ryder Pond.
In Truro, Charlotte took art lessons and yoga classes and tended her garden. She enjoyed local theater, organized a book club, played Scrabble and bocce with friends, joined the Pamet Yacht Club, got involved in town government, and began to exhibit her art in local galleries.
Charlotte became an even more avid traveler, taking frequent trips abroad with her closest friends. She loved cooking and hosting at the holidays.
Her greatest joy was spending time with her grandchildren: long summers with her granddaughters and the sporting events and musical performances of her grandsons throughout the year. She was happiest on her deck overlooking Ryder Pond surrounded by her family.
They remember Charlotte as a loving mother, grandmother, and friend, beautiful and independent, with an exceptional sense of humor. “Her smile would light up any room,” said Dale, adding that Charlotte’s favorite expression was “Always leave them laughing.”
Charlotte is survived by her daughter, Dale Carder Bruce of Marblehead, and her son, Monroe Nils Carder of Yarmouth Port; her grandchildren, Julia O’Leary of Hingham, Caroline Coan of Westport, Conn., Jack Carder of Yarmouth Port, and Eric Carder of Atlanta; and three great-grandchildren.
Visiting hours for relatives and friends will be held at Chapman Funerals & Cremations, 58 Long Pond Drive, Yarmouth from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
Notes of comfort for the family may be posted at chapmanfuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, donations in Charlotte’s name may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association at alz.org.
