Robert W. Carney, 85, of Marshfield, Massachusetts, passed away peacefully at home after a short illness on March 21, 2026. He was 85 years old. 

He was preceded in death by his wife, Diane L. (Goguen) Carney; his mother, Dorothy (Jenkins) Tilton; his stepfather, Alpheus P. Tilton; and his father, Robert J. Carney. He is survived by his son, Robert D. Carney and his wife, Colleen, of West Roxbury; his daughter, Deborah L. Carney of Marshfield; his sisters, Catherine (Katy) Tripp and Elaine Doran; his grandchildren, Matthew and Elizabeth Carney; and many nieces and nephews.

Bob was born on July 11, 1940, on Nantucket and grew up on Cuttyhunk, a small island off the coast of New Bedford. Attending a one-room schoolhouse with few fellow islanders helped shape his outlook on life, and made him very resourceful, often repurposing everyday household items for new uses. String, wire, and rope were particular favorites. Saved and carefully coiled, they were always ready to become anything from a nautical-style keychain, a macrame handle on a broom, or just to hang something that didn’t need to be hung.

Because Cuttyhunk only offered schooling through the eighth grade, Bob spent his high school years in Rochester, Massachusetts, attending Greater New Bedford Vocational Technical High School, where he earned a degree in welding. He served in the United States Army from 1960 to 1963, stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and later at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. It was there he learned to operate a crane, beginning a career that would span more than 40 years.

He met his wife Diane at a telephone bar outside of Boston. Each table had a phone you could use to call another table and ask someone to dance. He called her table, they danced all night and they got married a couple years later. Bob and Diane began their marriage in Hyde Park before settling in Marshfield in 1972, where they raised their family and enjoyed being close to Diane’s sister Barbara and her husband, Fran. They remained in their Marshfield home for the rest of their lives.

A dedicated worker, Bob rarely took time off, never certain when the next job would come. He eventually found stability working on the Big Dig, spending his final years on Atlantic Avenue in Boston, lowering materials into “the hole” until his retirement in 2002. He was a proud member of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 4 for over 60 years.

Bob was rarely without a cigar; the final two weeks of his life marked the longest stretch he had gone without one since the age of 16. He often had one in his mouth and a few more in his shirt pocket. Bob had to have a shirt with two pockets, one pocket for his glasses and phone, the other pocket for his cigars, pens, and his stylus, because he could never get his ‘fat-fingering’ issue figured out. He had a well-known distrust of modern technology, a deep interest in World War II documentaries, since his father was in the Coast Guard at the battle of Guadalcanal, and a standing daily breakfast at the Omelet Factory in Pembroke. Most people who knew Bob have a story or two about his eccentric but endearing ways.

Funeral services will be private. He will be laid to rest at Bourne National Cemetery with his wife, Diane. 

Those wishing to honor his memory may make a donation to the Cuttyhunk Historical Society: https://www.cuttyhunkhistoricalsociety.org/donate