Ottilie M. Scales, 94, of Wollaston passed away on January 19, 2020 at Dwyer Home South Weymouth, MA . She was born in Rockland, MA, to Hall B. and Marguerite W. Carpenter. Her parents named their daughter, Ottilie after a prominent character in Sigmund Romberg’s popular musical “Maytime” She is predeceased by her fraternal twin, Rev. Alan M. Carpenter of Peterboro, NH, in 1994, and her brother Bryant L. Carpenter of Wilbraham, Ma. in 2014. She is survived by nieces
Joyce Carpenter- Henderson of Clinton, MA and Gerry Rollinger of Lee, MA and by nephews
James Carpenter of Pembroke, N.H. , Robert Carpenter of Concord, N.H, William Carpenter,
Fennimore, Wisconsin and Wesley Carpenter, Lisbon Falls, Maine alongside several great nieces and nephews.
Ottilie graduated from Rockland High in June 1943. She married her high school sweetheart ,
Allen F. Bailey in Jan 22,1944, when she was 18 years old. Mr. Bailey was a student at Northeastern University when he entered the service with the US Navy Dec 19, 1942. He later served as a crew member of the submarine USS Barbel as an electricians mate. His submarine was lost
in the Pacific theater February 4, 1945. Overnight, Ottilie became a World War II widow and was embraced by the love and fellowship of Rockland Congregational Church.
Ottilie was an accomplished soprano singer with a coloratura range. She sang in the following
church choirs and served as the soprano soloist.
• Rockland Congregational Church, UCC, ( starting in 1943)
• Old South Congregational Church, UCC, Boston (10 years)
• Mission Hills-First Congregational, UCC San Diego, California; (7 years)
• Wollaston Congregational Church, UCC Wollaston, MA
• Union Congregational Church Wollaston, MA ( starting in 1966)
• Christ Evangelical Church, Middleborough, MA
• Quincy Community United Methodist Church Wollaston, MA
Ottilie performed in the following area choruses:
• Commonwealth Chorale First Baptist Church Boston, MA
• Cecelia Society Chorus
• Concord Chorus
• Eastern Nazarene College Choral Union
• John Hancock FCA Chorus
Most notably, she was a member of the Boston Cecilia (Chorus for the BSO) for about 10 years in her youth (1940s), during the Serge Koussevitzky and Arthur Fiedler era, singing a repertoire with her beautiful, lyric soprano voice that included Brahms Requiem for audiences at Symphony Hall.
She cherished her association with these iconic cultural institutions and
nurtured enduring friendships.
Ottilie married Walter L. Scales on Feb 16, 1953, in the Gordon Chapel of the Old South Church, Copley Square, Boston. The newlyweds moved to San Diego, Ca. and later divorced in May 1966. When Ottlie returned from California following her marriage break-up she was embraced by Wollaston Congregational Church congregation. She served as Sunday School superintendent, taught
many Sunday School classes. In addition, she directed children and youth choirs featuring their
young voices at special church services. For many years, she provided childcare for
Rev. Jack and Martha Swanson daughters Stephanie and Cassandra and was loved by this
clergy family. She accompanied both ministers on nursing home services and Bible studys.
She lived in Wollaston on the Quincy town line for many years and commuted in to work as an administrative assistant for John Hancock Mutual Life Insurance. She took advantage of John Hancock sponsored travel tours and traveled with her colleagues to Switzerland, Belgium, Germany, France, Italy and Austria. Often at family gatherings, she would show photographic slides of the majestic European church cathedrals and cultural sites. She retired from John Hancock in 1987.
She was an avid reader particularly enjoying historical and romantic novels. On weekends, she watched non-stop college and professional football games. She cheered the N.E. Patriots
onto many Super Bowl victories. She often said she was content within herself preferred time
alone at home. She listened to WCRB classical music and enjoyed the PBS masterpiece theater.
A memorial service will be held at Union Congregational Church 136 Rawson Road, Wollaston, MA on Saturday, February 15, 2020 at 11:00 a.m with the Rev. Jack Swanson and Joyce Carpenter-Henderson, niece as organist. Arrangements are being handled by the Deware Funeral Home, Quincy. Her final resting place will be Mount Auburn Cemetery Cambridge, MA.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Music Ministry of First Church of Christ, Congregational
678 Lynnfield Street, Lynn, MA 01904 Attn: Rev. Jack Swanson and Serenity Coffeehouse
c/o Joyce Carpenter-Henderson 96 Haskell Avenue Clinton, MA 01510. Serenity Coffeehouse is a Christian outreach ministry which encourages children and youth music students from all faith traditions to gain performance experience before a non-critical audience. It is important to note Ottilie Scales contributed the seed money twenty years ago.
.
SHARE OBITUARY
v.1.8.18