Carl Denis Higgins
May 24, 1965 ~ July 29, 2024
Resided in:
Lakewood, Washington
Carl Denis Higgins, 59, of Lakewood WA passed away unexpectedly on July 29th 2024 in Dupont WA.
Carl was born and raised in Sanford Maine as the 10th of 11 children born to Doris and Maynard Higgins. He attended Sanford High School and participated in football, wrestling, high jump and track. He worked summers on his brother Danny’s lobster boat in Camp Ellis Maine which he recalled often with fond memories. He enjoyed his class reunions and had many life-long friends from his high school days. Carl’s personality was strait forward, generous, devious at times and very social. He would often be considered by his friends to be the life of the party.
After high school he joined the Army and served for 5 years on active duty including 4 years in Germany where he witnessed the fall of the Berlin Wall. He continued his service in the Army National Guard for 14 years. He trained as an airline mechanic in and out of the service and continued that career with Boeing and Boeing sub-contractors in Washington State. He was called upon twice to return to active duty in the Middle East. He served as a CH-47 Chinook helicopter mechanic during both deployments and received many awards while in imminent danger for Operation Iraqi Freedom and the liberation of Kuwait. Upon his return, Carl enrolled with the Air Force Reserve and was trained as a mechanic for the C-17 Globemaster. He volunteered for his final deployment in Guam. He retired from service in 2017 as an E6 Technical Sergeant.
Carl was cremated in Washington and returned to Maine for his burial. Funeral services will be held August 19th at Noon, graveside at the Southern Maine Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery, 83 Stanley Road, Springvale Maine.
Carl is predeceased by his parents, Maynard and Doris Higgins, his brother David Higgins and niece, Meghan Higgins. His surviving siblings and their partners are Christine Higgins, Gloria Higgins, Danny (Jackie) Higgins, James (Rui Montiero-Claro) Higgins, Timothy Higgins, John (Valarie) Higgins, Joanne (Paul) Zietz, Diane (John Payeur) Higgins, MonaLisa (Roy) Coffin. Surviving nieces and nephews: Frankie Higgins, Joey Higgins, Billy Higgins, Dusty Zietz, Hailey Zietz, Sebastian Zietz, Sarah Zietz, Sandy Zietz, and Ginger Zietz. Extended family survivors are his Uncle Henry (Paula) Caron and numerous cousins. His family offers their condolences to his special friend Jo-Lynn LaRochelle-Shields and his best friend Carl Leach.
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My thoughts and prayers are with all who loved Carl. He was one of a kind who never judged, only loved.
Thank you, Carl for being so kind.
Kind, loving, fun, spirited
We shared the honor of being in the Class of ‘84
rest easy carl ill never forget the times you spent with my family you and my brother fred sure had some good times
On behalf of Carl’s beloved High School Classmates, we are heartbroken and extend our deepest sympathies to Carl’s family and friends. We are having our 40th Class reunion in October and a happy part of our reunions has been Carl’s joyful presence. We will carry on in his memory but his absense will be deeply felt.
Carl would often contact me via FaceBook messenger. He always called me Madame President (I’m the SHS Class of ’84 President). He was always happy to chat, respectful, curious and loving like a big brother. I will miss his friendship and the positive energy he brought to our class. We have a hole in our hearts and gatherings won’t be the same without his presence. He’d want us to carry on with the party and that we will do. Rest well dear friend! <3
Poem: We Never Said Good-Bye
Dear Brother Carl,
We Never Got The Chance To Say I Love You, We Never Got The Chance To Say We Will Miss You And Never Got The Chance To Hug And Kiss You. Nobody Told Us That You Were Going To Die. It Hurts, We Never Said Good-Bye.
We Hope That You Are Happy Wherever You Are, We Have You In Our Hearts No Matter How Far. To The Heavens Above We Wish We Could Fly, Only To Give You A Warm Hug Good-Bye.
We Will Remember You Each Day That We Live, A Kind And Caring Person With So Much To Give. Such A Pleasure To Have Known You, So Bigger Than Life, No One Can Deny, I Think It Might Be Time We Say Good-Bye.
We Will Remember The Good Times We Shared And How Much We Really Cared. Until We Meet Again, On God We Must Rely. We Love You, We Miss You, Want To Hug And Kiss You. But For Now It’s Time We Say Good-Bye.
We are so sorry to hear about Carl’s passing. Our sincere condolences to all of his family and close friends.
We were a year behind
him in school at Sanford but have very fond memories playing football alongside him for the Redskins. We are pretty sure Carl and Pooka were receivers and cornerbacks struggling to please Coach Conely along with the rest of us.
We remember always seeing Carl and Pooka together outside of school at the occasional spontaneous pit party that materialize
It is sad to hear that someone we lost touch with and has done so much with their lives has left us so young and so much left to do and enjoy!
He Was Always Smiling!!
Making people laugh
We were good friends many years ago
Carl was genuine.
Meeting up with him when we were both stationed in Germany
Very generous
How much he was mad when someone yelled out a car window “I HATE RED HAIR “
A few of us were going to new York city. Carl said he had to work on his brother’s boat. We kidnapped him and didn’t untie him until we crossed the state line.
His brother didn’t believe that he was kidnapped
I remember those parties Nora, I’ll never forget that look on your face when the next day he was just wearing long John’s and a sheet
Carl, you and i would laugh everyday here at work, and we’d have fun doing it too, you know what I mean Carl.
He helped his neighbor quite a bit, the older lady by the name of Jackie. The two of you were almost like a couple, but he was almost like her guardian angel.
Carl was one of kind, he’d tell you how it is and he’d make sure that you knew that. He was a little rough on the edges but if and when you got to know him, he’s was actually a great guy to know.
Carl, my brother, we had some moments here at work, we had a lot of laughs you and I. I was lucky to enough to have shared many moments with someone of similar interests.
To my brother Carl, for the short time we have known each other, I felt like we were young again here at work, and it felt as if we were here our whole life.
I still remember the story of you in the airport somewhere, at one of the bathroom stalls…..hahaha that was awesome bro!
Carl was a very knowledgeable mechanic, and knew specific details with certain type of vehicles. One particular car was his early 90’s Toyota MR2 with the brakes and suspension.
We worked in the same shop floor at the 14.01 building, with the same boss but worked along side each other building P8’s.
Carl…..let’s go have a drink and watch some football.
I describe Carl as very kind and caring. He was very honorable to his Country and his family.
He loved his days fishing with his brother Danny and would hop on our boat when he would come home for the holidays.
He serve
ved his country he love with honor and respect🇺🇸
Our Dear Carl. May you rest in peace. We go way back. At times I felt like I was your mother. Your mom use ask what was taking us so long to get pregnant. Danny use to say because you were a bad excuse for wanting kids. Lol. All kidding aside.You showed us up with a fine man you grew up to become. Danny, Frankie and I will miss you dearly.💔❤ RIP
Please accept my sincere condolences and prayers. Carl was always a pleasure to be around and made the world a better place whenever he was around others.
Classmates at SHS
Carl will be missed by so many people. My heartfelt condolences to the entire family and all his friends. He had much pride in being a 1984 alumni, how he remembered everyone. We all know how he contributed to being the life of the party or event. How he was the biggest flirt. He also was kind, caring and giving. You have left a big empty hole in my heart. RIP Until we meet again ♥️
Nice
He was kind.
My sincere condolences to all of Carl’s friends and family. I will miss Carl deeply. I have found memories of hanging out with Carl and Carl back in the day.
I was often asked if Carl was my brother, most people thought we looked very much alike. Even our own family had a hard time telling us apart in old pictures. I would respond with a “yes”, and then brace myself for their response not knowing what I was going to hear. And aside for some crazy stories, I would get how much they loved brother Carl. He left a good and lasting impression on so many people I met. Family get-togethers will never be the same, I’m gonna miss you Carl.
Our SHS Class of 1984 was soooooo blessed by Carl’s life, love & laughter! Thanks for the memories and the laughs! Rest in peace in the presence of God forever…♥️
Rip
To the Higgins family, with great admiration for your Parents and your family, Jesus has come to collect your brother and a friend. There is sorrow for loosing such living sprits as Carl. He represented the strong being of your family as the rest of you do. Meeting one Higgins one should know that you may not want to tangle with the rest:) Carl is now reunited in Heaven through Jesus to meet our Fater God, the creator of all things, you parents and others. You are all strong as I remember, and it is with great gratitude that your brother choose to let me be a friend and he help me learn to be stronger. May peace be with you and may your family be well.
He was my classmate, a friend and fellow service member.
Carl Higgins believed in God, was created a strong soul, brave man, an athlete and a honorable soldier. If you were to have someone as a brother and or a friend watching your back, this would be a man I would choose.
Carl was straight forward and when i knew him grounded in fact and reality. This was a good quality when it came to problems.
Playing “caps’ over at Carl leaches old place down the street from the Wolves Club. He would sit there 10 feet or so away from Pooka and they would be working to knock off the upside-down cap sitting on top of the Bud pounder.
Determined
“If I have kids one day, the boy will be named “Heck of a Higgins” and the girl will be named ‘Hell of a Higgins”.
There were a few times when Carl and I to include Carl Leach and or Fred Spaulding went up behind the Sanford library. There was this building behind the library that had a back grass area with tall shrubs that bordered the Goodall property. With a couple six packs of Bud pounders, and a rubber band we would stretch the rubber band and fling it into the air. The objective was to catch it in our mouth and then you would get to drink. Carl coined the game name “Hig Hag Snag”.
I meant Higgins many years ago at my husband’s Eric House in West Newfield Maine. We had many Halloween parties at his house. We had many good times for years as friends. Higgins even came down to North Carolina to visit us a couple of times. He went to pigeon forge Tennessee with my son Cory and my husband Eric as well as my sister Amy. I’m so sorry for his loss. Sending all my prayers and love to his family members.
Nora, Eric, and Cory Melanson
I meant Higgins many years ago at my husband’s Eric House in West Newfield Maine. We had many Halloween parties at his house. We had many good times for years as friends. Higgins even came down to North Carolina to visit us a couple of times. He went to pigeon forge Tennessee with my son Cory and my husband Eric as well as my sister Amy. I’m so sorry for his loss. Sending all my prayers and love to his family members.
Nora, Eric, and Cory Melanson
Nickname ? PUCA if I remember correctly !!
He was always so friendly and when we talked there could be hundreds of people around but he would make it feel like it was just us two That always stayed with me 🥰 I’m so sorry for the close family and friends
John and I take great solace in knowing that you are reunited with Father, Mother, David and our beautiful Meghan in the heavenly realm. I know you will find it hard to believe …even humorous…but we will miss your crazy antics at our family gatherings. Until we meet again my larger-than-life brother. Much love💞
I have fond memories of Carl. Many thoughts and prayers for his family during this difficult time.