John Carberg
New London — John Carberg, 78, of New London, died peacefully with his family by his side Friday, Nov. 9, 2018, after a long and courageous battle with cancer. He spent much of his life in Groton and later, Coral Springs, Fla.
John is survived by his wife of 39 years, Connie Carberg; son, Christopher Carberg and his wife, Jenna, of Oviedo, Fla.; daughter, Lisa Carberg and her husband, Jeffrey Palmer, of Mystic; and granddaughters, Elsie Carberg and Ashleigh Palmer.
John graduated from Fitch High School in 1957 and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps later that year. He attended boot camp at Parris Island, S.C. and was deployed to Formosa (now Taiwan).
After his honorable discharge, he attended Mitchell College in New London and worked as a draftsman at General Dynamics Electric Boat in Groton. John was also a gifted actor and performed in many regional theatre shows in Connecticut, earning many honors and accolades including a local Eugene O’Neill award.
After working in sales training for Volkswagen Audi Porsche in New York, John took a job with Jim Moran and the fledgling Southeast Toyota Distributors in Deerfield Beach, Fla. During his time with Toyota, he became district manager in the top car market in the nation (Miami/ Ft. Lauderdale) and then vice president of truck sales. His work helped Southeast Toyota, a distributor to five southern states, introduce new methods for sales training.
While he was a very hard worker, he also enjoyed playing. He could be found on many golf courses in south Florida. If you witnessed a middle-aged man with a mustache throw his golf club into a lake in the mid-1990s, you may have encountered John.
John’s true love in life was his family. He was extremely proud of his talented network broadcasting daughter Lisa and introduced her to her husband Jeff. He supported his son Chris as he undertook film production, acting and other business ventures. He even acted in a feature film produced by his son. He always wanted his kids to be better off than he was. His kids could always count on him.
His marriage to Connie was a powerful force in his life. Connie loved John and believed in him, encouraging his heartfelt tenderness. In return, he adored her and encouraged her to be herself, with her bright, bold, colorful personality. John’s love was also exemplified by his patience and support of Connie’s huge collection of New York Jets memorabilia, constant basketball coaching and reminders that he’d better not die during football Sunday. He loved everything about her and often said she was the most amazing person he’d ever met. Connie stood by his side with great endurance during the last year of his life.
Those who knew John know that he was a true personality — a bright and shining star. He was an amazingly generous character whose quick wit and humor was unrivaled in any situation. He had the unique ability to put anyone at ease. He always looked out for the underdog and never forgot where he came from. John was a true Renaissance man with the strength of a bull and the gentleness of a dove.
Donations in John’s name may be made to The Human Fund, “Money for People”.